Hamilton County, TN Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Section 422, Recreational Marinas, is one of the special-permit uses listed in Article VI's Exceptions chapter, meaning a marina or organized boat dock facility is not permitted by right anywhere in unincorporated Hamilton County; it requires a special permit application reviewed through the Regional Planning Agency and approved by the Hamilton County Commission. The applicant must submit four copies of a site plan at the time of application, and that plan has to show the location of every building on the property and along the waterline with an explanation of each building's use, the location of pedestrian and vehicular entrance and exit points, the location and size of all parking areas and traffic circulation routes, and the location, type and number of sanitary facilities, which must be approved by Hamilton County Groundwater Protection before the permit can move forward.

Section 422 sits in the same Article VI framework as the county's other special-permit uses, so the marina application follows the same general procedure: submission to the Regional Planning Agency, staff review, and a decision by the County Commission on whether the proposed use is harmonious with surrounding land use. The regulation was adopted by Resolution 818-41 on August 15, 2018, and is not shown superseded in the amendment log carried through the 2025 recodification.