The Robert Baird home and acreage that sits along Jacksboro Pike near Campbell High recently sold.  Concerns by neighbors of this property were raised at Thursday’s City of LaFollette Regional Planning Commission meeting as there was rumored talk of a possible rock quarry starting up on the property.

UPDATE:

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – WLAF News has learned today that the Baird property on Jacksboro Pike is not in the City of La Follette.  That was verified earlier today by an official with the Campbell County Property Assessor’s Office.  The property was recently sold, and at Thursday’s City of La Follette Regional Planning Commission, the property was discussed.  The story is below.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/20/2019-2PM)

BY LINDSEY HUTSON

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – The LaFollette Regional Planning Commission meeting took place Thursday afternoon at City Hall. There were many items on the December agenda that were discussed, and there was one big item that was not on the agenda that ended up being the hot topic of the meeting. The LaFollette Church of God presented a site plan to place a 60-foot steel cross that was approved.  Another home owner requested to run an in house vacation rental office on East Central Avenue.  That request was approved.

A site plan for West Central Avenue was tabled for further discussion until next month. The site includes the LaFollette City Glass building and the old Masonic lodge building and expanding the lot boundaries for a possible sale.

The Baird property also includes a lot of acreage.  Heavy equipment was unloaded on this property earlier this week.

The big ticket item, however, was not even listed to be discussed.  Ten concerned citizens attended Thursday’s meeting to voice concern over the newly sold Robert Baird property along the main highway (1621 Jacksboro Pike). This property lies between Hunter’s Branch Road and the high school. There have been rumors of a planned rock quarry for the property circulating around town. LaFollette City Administrator Jimmy Jeffries said that these are unconfirmed and that the City is looking into the rules and regulations of a rock quarry.   LaFollette Codes officer, Daniel Foster, mailed certified letters on Tuesday to the property owners requesting they stop construction and attend the January meeting with a site plan in hand.

Travis Thompson, a concerned citizen and nearby resident, voiced that it was “a horrible place for one (rock quarry).”  There are many kids around as well as wildlife and nearby residents are worried that the blasting will disturb the high school’s foundation and drive wildlife into the open. Jeffries assured the citizens that the City is educating themselves on this subject and on how to proceed with this issue.

There is much more to come on this story at the January meeting.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/20/2019-6AM)