Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham is apparently trying to push through some creative mixed-use zoning for one parcel of property for one developer for one project:

The Planning Commission proposal for the new Sports Complex District included provisions for athletic fields, retail sales, rental of goods and merchandise, gas stations, laundry mat, restaurants, medical offices and clinics, hotels and motels, and multifamily developments.

What about bowling alleys and tattoo parlors? According to the article, none of the proposed uses comply with current zoning for the property. There is also a National Registry of Historic Places home and farm at the proposed site, and maybe a cemetery.

The article says this and other similar zoning requests are coming from a planning commissioner newly appointed by Mayor Cunningham, who promised "to streamline government procedures, cut through red tape and eliminate government bureaucracy."

Another commissioner says "We didn't have discussions or work groups or anything about this before Helton brought it to the commission. It was just thrown out there, approved and sent on to the commissioners."

The investors involved in the project are secret. A local banker is promoting it on their behalf. He says the investors are mostly local although there is an "out-of-state element," but he's "not working with some investment group from Atlanta." Apparently those Atlanta investment groups are a undesirable bunch? He also says "These are not regular Blount County developers I'm working with because this isn't a regular Blount County development." Well, the circumstances surrounding this deal certainly sound irregular.

And finally, this quote from our illustrious County Mayor:

When asked if anyone with a development background was involved in the project, Cunningham said, "It's not my job to ferret out Simmerly's investors."

OK, then.