Townsend wins city planning award

Townsend’s scenic views, rolling paths and work developing a new community plan were honored by the Tennessee Municipal League Tuesday evening, July 23. During its annual conference in Knoxville, TML representatives presented city leaders with an award for Excellence in Community Planning.

The award recognizes “the dedicated efforts made by the city of Townsend to preserve their local assets both for area residents and millions of national and international visitors” according to a release from the TML. Representatives praised the city’s work in creating a new community plan after its old land use and transportation policy expired in 2020.

“Known as the ‘Peaceful Side of the Smokies,’ officials with the city of Townsend take seriously their responsibility of preserving the unique character and natural beauty that both attracts residents and visitors who come through the community as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” representatives wrote.

Community Plan

That work is partly the brainchild of Townsend Mayor Don Prater, who said he began pushing for a new plan after joining the city planning commission. After years of work, he’s now on the Community Plan Advisory Committee dedicated to creating a new system to guide the city through the next phase of its journey.

And the work is building momentum. The city recently hired consultants East Tennessee Development District and the SE Group to aid in the process. A dedicated landing page on the city website should arrive Aug. 1, consultants said during a presentation for the Townsend Board of Commissioners last week.

“We’ll have the opportunity to receive continuous feedback,” Prater said in a phone interview Wednesday.

The future plan will differ from its predecessor, said Prater, because it will contain a vision statement. That vision, he said, should help guide the application of the plan and keep the city closer to what residents want for their future.

Vision

To keep the vision statement in line with the needs and desires of the Tuckaleechee Valley, Prater said the CPAC needs to implement as much public feedback as possible. Possible dates for a public meeting SE Group representatives mentioned last week include Sept. 23, with a potential vision statement going to the planning commission for approval in mid-December.

To be a healthy community, Prater said he feels Townsend needs a healthy balance of people. He wants to ensure the city remains “a nice place to live” with a steady number of full-time residents.

“We have a lot of folks that want to have a vacation cabin here,” he said. “That’s fine, too, but if you’re going to have a healthy town, you’ve got to have a sufficient number of full-time residents.”

Townsend, Prater said, has a rich history of habitation from its first residents to the settlers and loggers that made the valley their home. That history, he said, is not only a benefit for residents but also a reason people come to visit.