Hardin Valley — Residents in Hardin Valley fear their community is growing faster than its infrastructure can handle, and they're worried the area’s popularity could also be its downfall.
When Gary Latham first bought his home in Conner’s Creek eight years ago, there weren’t any surrounding neighborhoods.
“I think you always anticipate some growth, but this growth is far outpacing the basic needs," Latham said.
A new subdivision called Laurel Ridge is going up down the block from Latham's neighborhood with roughly 200 new lots.
The subdivision is being built by Ball Homes, a Kentucky-based home builder with a Knoxville office. Records show the company has spent $45 million over the last 5 years buying up 29 different parcels of land to develop.
During that time frame, they've taken out more than 1,000 building permits for new homes, and on Thursday, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission will take up a proposal for another land parcel Ball Homes hopes to develop.
Latham's yard backs up to the latest property. He and his neighbors are fighting the proposal as it winds its way through the municipal process.
“It’s not a matter of it being in our backyard, it’s a matter of the entire community," said his neighbor, Michelle Frazer.
Frazer worries new subdivisions are taking precedence over the quality of life that drew her to Hardin Valley three years ago.
“We were supposed to get a park. We were supposed to get a greenway ... that makes the community a whole community, and they haven’t done that," she said. "I understand they may not have had time yet, but if they allow the level of residential building that they are, there’s not going to be any land left to do it."
While she said residents like herself aren't against growth, they want it to slow down enough to ensure the community is growing in the right direction.
We left several voicemails for representatives at Ball Homes' Knoxville and Lexington, Kentucky, locations, but have not yet received a response.