Washington County Planning Commission attendees applaud decision to deny

A 'Thank you Jesus!' echoed through the halls of the Washington County Courthouse this week. That praise came after the Washington County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of BWXT's request to rezone land in Jonesborough in a four to two vote with one abstention. The rezone request is to expand the company's operations processing depleted uranium. The meeting was rescheduled for this week after being tabled in November to find a space that would accommodate the public. But the space still burst at the seams as the meeting began. Two courtrooms — one where the commission sat with some of the public, and one where more attendees could watch — still wasn't enough. At least 30 people spilled out and into the halls of the courthouse, streaming the meeting live on their cellphones as it continued in the courtroom a few steps away. The voices of Washington County residents who were testifying before the commission in that courtroom echoed through people's phones. "I apologize, I don't know what's been said… cause I'm sitting down the hallway," Limestone resident Joe Royston said when it was his turn to speak during the public comment period. "You've got two courtrooms full of people, just so you know." The planning commission heard from the public for almost two hours, most of whom opposed the rezoning request, which could rezone 55 acres of the BWXT-owned land from residential and agricultural property to high-impact manufacturing property. "I'm not against depleted uranium processing… but I just think it shouldn't be being processed in our backyard," said one Washington County resident, Austin Paxton, who spoke during the public comment period. When the planning commission voted to deny a recommendation to rezone the property, it was met with thunderous applause from the audience. "I think it's a good decision to put it off," said Limestone resident Mary Hurmey. She said it's "probably valid" to ask the company for facts about the rezoning in "one complete format" that the community would have access to before any decisions are made. "But I do have concerns about big companies like this coming in and promising everybody the world," she said. A pressing concern for Hurmey, along with those who spoke during the public comment period, is the site's location. "I really don't feel that that small block of land is the proper location for this type of industry," said Hurmey. "I think that there are other places that are more suitable than to put that in the middle of agricultural and residential areas." BWXT's original request was to rezone 128 acres of its property. That request has since been scaled back to 55 acres. For some at the meeting Tuesday, that's not enough. Those in attendance included Washington County residents and others along the Nolichucky River Watershed. Royston, who grew up in the area and currently lives in Limestone, is also opposed to the rezoning. "There's just so many issues that are unresolved for me," he said. Washington County resident Richard Dennis sat on a bench outside of the courtroom and watched the meeting on his phone. What brought him were worries about the community's "immediate and long-term future." "I'm really concerned about corporate America managing sites and moving on… and they tend to leave communities holding the bag," Dennis said. Dennis, among other attendees, hopes the county commission ultimately denies BWXT's rezoning request at its next meeting on Jan. 26. "I'm proud of the community and the turnout," Dennis said. "I'm very proud to live here."