Townsend residents worry proposed hotel will disrupt peaceful local lifestyle

TOWNSEND, Tenn. (WATE) — Townsend residents are voicing their concerns about a proposed development by Ofland Hotels.

Back in May of 2023, we reported about a possible campground being proposed in Townsend by Yonder Hospitality, they have since changed their name of Ofland. Those plans have also changed and evolved into a proposed hotel.

“Right now they’re calling it a hotel, doesn’t look any other hotel in the state of Tennessee, but they’re calling it a hotel,” Tomi McEvoy, a Townsend resident said.

The proposed hotel plans have been approved by the planning commission, leaving some residents like McEvoy frustrated.

“We want people to be able to come in and enjoy the river, the hiking, our bears,” McEvoy said. “If they rezone 27 acres we have lost habitat for sure for two mothers and cubs that we know exist on that 27 acres.”

Pat Jenkins, another resident echoing McEvoy thoughts. He fears that this peaceful side of the Smokies will no longer exist.

“I feel like that way of life is now just getting reduced to a slogan,” Jenkins said. “That all the businesses are using to attract more customers to the city and that bothers me a lot.”

The pair told us the welcome tourists, but they fear this hotel will turn Townsend into a place like Gatlinburg.

“We’re not anti-business and we’re not anti-tourist. Obviously, a lot of our profit comes from that,” McEvoy said. “We want to be an alternative to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and if the developers come in here that will go away.”

Currently, there is a petition online that has garnered thousands of signatures.

“We have over 4,000 signatures from both locals and visitors,” McEvoy said. “We want to keep Townsend peaceful. We don’t want an outdoor movie theater playing music and loud things until 10 or 11 o’clock at night.

Townsend City Manager Danny Williamson said the planning commission has approved plans based on three contingencies. Those contingencies include TDEC doing a stormwater review prior to the issuance of a building permit, TDOT approving curb cut, and the developer reaching out to state archaeologists to find out their procedures and listen to their recommendations if any graves are found.

Once the developer fulfils these contingencies, Williamson tells us Ofland will then come back to the planning commissions and present those updated plans.

We have reached out to Ofland, they did not respond before publication.

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