'They haven't started digging yet'

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher • Editor

The marketing message for the tiny home community across from Lynchburg Park on Main Street highlights that the “rustic, resort-inspired community pays homage to the history and legacy of the town of Lynchburg and the local distillery.” The Retreat at Whiskey Creek is promoted as the “newest luxury tiny home community.”

Four years after the initial proposal, Oakstone Land & Capital is ready to commence site work for the 79-unit tiny home community.

During Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, Chairman Dexter Golden asked, “Is Chip [Hayes, President of Oakstone] making progress on the tiny homes?”

Metro Utilities Manager Ronnie Cunningham stated: “They were supposed to start digging this week, but they haven’t started digging yet.”

“All they’ve done right now is the rocks?” Golden asked, referencing the entrance at 975 Main Street that leads to the covered bridge.

“They’ve got it laid out for the electricity,” Cunningham said. “They’re going to do the electric, then they’re doing water, then they’re doing sewer.

“They’re going to get all the electrical run first; me and Duck River met with them last week.”

A bit bewildered, Golden noted, “Any other permit we would issue would have an expiration date," knowing the saga has been drawn out but now reaching its final stages.

Golden inquired whether the contract between Oakstone and Moore County was officially signed. Cunningham confirmed the deal is signed, and Oakstone has made the payment. “We’re done on our end – until they put [the water lines] in and we inspect it.”

Located roughly a mile from the Square, Whiskey Creek is touted as “the perfect weekend destination to unwind, take in the rolling foothills, and immerse yourself” in Lynchburg.

However, reaching the point of unwinding has been a journey. The Planning and Zoning Commission dedicated much of 2021 to work sessions to draft an R3 High-Density Zoning ordinance. (The R3 category was abolished in September 2024, but Oakstone's standing remains – grandfathered in, as it were.)

In January 2022, the ordinance was bandied about multiple times as Oakstone presented its position to the Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Metro Moore Council.

Then, Hayes and the Council butted heads over contract details, which again delayed the development. The deal was ultimately approved in December 2024.

Oakstone anticipates completing utility installations by late summer. Meanwhile, pending inspections, the construction of the home building and amenities will proceed in parallel.

Oakstone currently has communities in Mountain City, Monteagle, and Tracy City.