Boat business developers close on property in Norris
The developers of the planned boat sales, service and storage facility on Andersonville 040523 S Highway have put up this sign to show where they plan to open their business. It’s be- tween Meadow View Assisted Living and Exit 122 Power Equipment. (photo:G Chambers Williams III )
Big Creek Marine, LLC, now based on Shanghai Road in LaFollette, on May 18 paid $800,000 for two parcels, one with 2.65 acres fronting on Andersonville Highway, and the other with 5.55 acres fronting on Acuff Lane, right behind the other tract.
The land was purchased from Clayton Holding Company, which is part of the Clayton Homes business. Clayton had been trying to sell the property for several years, since acquiring it in a foreclosure.
The next move will be for the developers to bring their construction plans for the business before the Norris Planning Commission for approval and issuance of the necessary building permits.
James Broyles, who owns the business with his wife, Jessica, said in May that they would not have the boat sales and service part of the business up and running this year, as previously expected.
“We still might have some storage ready by the end of the season, but the sales and service side probably won’t be ready until late winter or early spring [2024],” James Broyles said in May. “ … We hope to bring our plans to the Norris Planning Commission within the next couple of months. We’re moving forward, but it’s just taking a while to get through the process.”
In March, the Norris City Council approved rezoning of the two parcels to accommodate the business.
Rezoning was requested in January by Clayton HC for the boat business to change the front, 2.65-acre parcel to C-2 (Commercial) for the sales and service part of the business, and the second, 5.55-acre parcel to I-1 (Light Industrial) for the boat storage area.
The business plans to sell and service luxury boats and provide year-round protected storage for pleasure boats. The site is on the south side of Andersonville Highway between Exit 122 Outdoor Power Equipment and Meadow View Senior Living.
James Broyles said the front lot would be the site of the boat sales and service operation, while the back lot would be used for covered, secure year-round boat storage.
The rezoning request was given preliminary approval by the Norris Planning Commission on Feb. 6, but final approval was required in the form of ordinances passed by the City Council.
The C-2 rezoning ordinance passed on a unanimous vote of the council in March, while the I-1 rezoning was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Chris Mitchell opposing it.
Broyles said he planned to pay Clayton 800,000 for the property, then spend about $3 million to build the structures for the boat sales, service and storage operations.
“We would employ five to six people to start,” he said.
The different zoning designations were necessary because Norris doesn’t allow outdoor storage facilities in a C-2 zone, but does allow them in the I-1 industrial zone. With the change to C-2, the front piece of property would be allowed to have the boat sales and service operations, but not storage.
Mitchell said earlier that he was “struggling” with rezoning the rear tract to industrial use because it could open it up to manufacturing later if the boat business moved out.