Maryville’s rental market is about to get a serious jolt. On Thursday, the Blount County Board of Zoning Appeals signed off on special exceptions for two big apartment complexes, opening the door to a total of 824 new units along already busy stretches of U.S. 411 and West Lamar Alexander Parkway.
Approvals and the 3-1 vote
According to WBIR, the board’s 3-1 vote cleared two separate projects: a roughly 300-unit development at South Odell Road and W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, and a 524-unit community at 3652 U.S. 411 S. Developers and their filings indicated that these special-exception approvals let the proposals advance without any additional public votes.
On the county’s docket
The Board convened Thursday in Room 430 of the courthouse, as noted on the Blount County calendar. The county listing shows that both multifamily requests were formally scheduled for public consideration.
Plans, studies and the paper trail
The meeting agenda posted on Blount County Legistar includes memos, site plans, building elevations and traffic-impact summaries for each special-exception request. Those documents make up the technical record that county planners will rely on if the developers push ahead into the permitting phase.
Developer pitch: young pros and resort-style perks
Project representative Marcus Wiedower told WBIR that the larger 524-unit community at 3652 U.S. 411 is aimed at young professionals and is planned with higher-end finishes and outdoor amenities. Submitted materials and reporting list pickleball courts, dog parks and a swimming pool among the proposed features.
What comes next
Thursday’s votes were only for special exceptions. Developers still have to obtain site-plan approvals and building permits through Blount County Development Services, which oversees technical review and permitting. So far, no construction timeline has been released publicly.
