WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Wilson County landowner said new zoning laws are forcing him to choose which of his four children will miss out on inheriting family land, as county commissioners prioritize agricultural preservation over property division rights.
Jason Denton and his wife bought approximately 8 acres in Wilson County 13 years ago.
There, they've built their family home, raising goats, chickens and horses on the property. They dreamed of eventually parceling the land to give each of their four children a piece of the family farm.
But Wilson County commissioners recently approved a zoning change requiring some agricultural parcels, referred to as A1, to maintain a minimum of 2 acres. The new regulations prohibit Denton from dividing his 8 acres five ways among his family.
"I just wanna be able to have the right to put enough homes on my property in case my children wanna come back here and live here," Denton said.
The family has always maintained a policy of equality among their children.
"One if we do something for one, we're gonna do it for the other three," Denton said.
But now someone will lose out.
"I'm just telling them, look, we'll find another way to keep it equal," Denton said.
Denton emphasized his family's commitment to farming rather than development.
"We're not in this to develop the property, sell this off to develop the property, or to make money," Denton said. "We're in this to give something for the children because I grew up extremely poor."
The landowner said he and other property owners have been unfairly impacted by the zoning change.
"We've gotten caught in the middle of this, and there's a lot of citizens, a class of citizens created by this resolution change. You are going to fall victim by the fact that our rights have been taken away," Denton said.
Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto said the zoning change was implemented to conserve and preserve agricultural land. Over the past 10 years, most of the county's growth has occurred inside city limits.
Denton said he shares the goal of keeping Wilson County rural but believes there should be room for compromise.
"There's hay bales, there's a barn, all the things that are here we earned, and we have made it what it is," Denton said. "We wanna share that with our children."
The father hopes his children can remain part of the community.
"My children wanna be a part of this community. They wanna come back home, pay taxes, invest in this community just like I am," Denton said.
The county previously voted on the same zoning change in 2023, but it was overturned due to a procedural error. The zoning change passed without error this time.
Disappointed by the outcome, Denton says he may have to seek resolution through the courts rather than county chambers.
"I don't want it to come to that, I don't, but it will if it has to," Denton said.
Have you been affected by Wilson County's zoning changes? Are you facing similar challenges with property rights in your community? I want to hear your story. Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com to share how local zoning laws have impacted your family's plans.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
