TOWNSEND, Tenn. — It's known as the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies,” but some residents are worried that might change.
Townsend leaders area taking a look at development within the city, and some people in the community worry that might disrupt the town by bringing in more tourists. This comes as a steering committee is now preparing to take feedback from residents and engage people.
It's working to develop a plan to shape Townsend's future.
“The peaceful side of the Smokies is a way of life,” said Pat Jenkins, who lives in the area. “It's not an advertising slogan. It's a way of life.”
It’s what brought Jenkins and his wife, Mary K., to the city in 1992.
“We built our own cabin,” Jenkins said. “We cut every board, we nailed every nail.”
The couple said that their peaceful way of life is changing.
“It's really disheartening to see the businesses try to take over and to put attractions here,” said Mary K.
This change is happening as the couple said increasingly more businesses, festivals and tourists are arriving in the area.
“The only thing that's constant is change. But I'll tell you what I have noticed: that change is happening quicker than just about any time I've seen in my life,” said Mayor Don Prater. “Townsend has been discovered. We're really on the map, I think, nationally as well as locally, and that has increased a lot of interest in our community.”
Prater has led the city for two years after growing up in West Knoxville, often visiting his aunt and uncle in Townsend.
“What does it mean to be the peaceful side of the Smokies?” Prater said. “What does it mean to maintain our East Appalachia character?”
That’s what Prater is trying to determine along with a Community Plan Advisory Committee, working to create a plan to outline the vision for the city’s future.
“Times are changing, and we need to make sure we have that guidance from our residents and our local community to guide what our planning commission does, what our city council does, and so we're looking to have that process completed just as quick as we can do it,” Prater said.
Prater said the city already has a Land Use and Transportation Plan that was developed over a decade ago.
“It was a vision through 2020, and so the time has come for us to really get our community together and decide, you know, what we want to look like and be like in the future, and how we want to maintain the peaceful side of the Smokies,” Prater said.
Property owners like Troy Higgins said they’re worried it might be changing for the worse.
“If we don't do something soon, Townsend will never be the same again,” Higgins said. “The only way that's going to change is we've got to get people to participate and stand up for the town because it will turn into a Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.”
Along with more development likely comes more traffic, resident Lauren Kline said.
“Enjoying the drive up here, the nature is just absolutely gorgeous. So, knowing now that it's all becoming more touristy, it's a bit disappointing because the traffic, you know, is going to get worse, and not a lot of people are going to be able to enjoy nature nearly as much,” Kline said. “So it's pretty sad to see that that's, you know, changing just within my generation.”
Feedback from locals is what Prater said he wants to hear.
“We're on the cusp of starting with some really significant community engagement,” Prater said.
The mayor said residents will be invited to a series of public community meetings throughout the summer to voice their opinions on the future of Townsend.
“It's just that there's a balance here, and we feel like the balance has gone way overboard,” Jenkins said.
It’s a balance that some community members and Prater said they want to maintain. The mayor said the entire budget for the city is based on sales tax since Townsend does not have a property tax.
“We derive our resources to provide all those things that our community looks at, police and fire protection. So, our local businesses are really important, and they're playing a key role here too, because it's important to get that right,” Prater said. “One of the things that's important and why we really want to update our community plan is that it's important for developers. So, someone that's looking at our community for the first time to really understand what we're about, what's our vision, and what are our values. And we don't currently have a good description of that in our Land Use and Transportation Plan. That's why we're getting this public input so that we can have that vision so if a developer comes and wants to do something to Townsend, they can take a look at that, and they can find the things that are really important to our community and see if they're a good fit for our area.”
Prater said the dates of the public meetings are being determined right now, and will be released soon. The mayor hopes to have the plan completed within a year, which he recognizes is faster than the typical timeline for similar projects in other areas.