COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Smoky Mountains are a backdrop as you drive down I-40 East to take the Hartford exit.
With new developments in the area, people are suspecting a bigger project in the plans that could possibly change their lives. The community wants to know what is going to happen; they want to be informed about what is next for their community.
Dana Caton bought her property in Cocke County about seven years ago, and now, she is worried everything is going to change.
"I wanted an undeveloped area, I wanted an area that had all the things that I enjoy about life hiking, camping, kayaking," Caton said. "I first found out about the development when some locals came forward and told the community that they had been approached to sell their land."
She also said her fear for the future is that nature may lose this battle.
"They're keeping everything behind closed doors," Caton said. "That's why we want transparency, we want to know what is going to happen in our area."
Alongside a group in Cocke County, she started digging for some answers and claimed that they found a $2 million water park development.
Rob Mathis has been Cocke County's mayor for the last seven months. He said, "No one has presented any projections, plans, contracts, or other solid documentation to my office at that time."
Anne Reathiford and her husband Ricky own a restaurant in the community called Annie's Pork-N-Beans. Anne is worried that the development would ruin the mountain culture.
"My biggest concern is that the mountain culture in the community and the family foundation out here will be ripped apart," Anne said.
Ricky said they are all for progress, but destroying an entire way of life to get there is not the way to do it.
"It needs to be done in a better way where the people in the community have a voice," he said.
Mayor Mathis said they are working on two projects: a sewer system and a bike trail in Hartford.
We reached out to elected officials and the company community members claim is behind it, but have not received a response. The developer has not responded to WBIR's request.
Cocke County Partnership has also declined a request for an interview.