The Greene County Planning Commission approved five new subdivisions on Tuesday.

The subdivisions given preliminary and final approval were:

* The Walter and Patricia Turnmire subdivision on Judd Neal Loop;

* The Castle property subdivision on Robertson Road;

* The Holland and Ailshie property subdivision on Baileyton Road, after wording was added to the plat and Lot 9 stating that Lot 9 was not approved for a sub-surface septic tank.

* The Dorothy Hawkins Estate subdivision on Doc Hawkins Road, Old Baileyton Road and Sulphur Springs Loop; and

* The Villa Guiffre subdivision on Shakerag Road.

Another subdivision request that would have allowed a property line to, in essence, split a pond among two neighbors on Flatwoods Road was denied after State Planner Ronda Sawyer recommended that the request not be approved.

Another subdivision, of the Covey B. Woolsey property on Red Hill Road, was pulled from discussion.

Twenty-four minor plats/subdivisions also were approved.

Sawyer said of the plat approvals, "We were busy this month. Things are picking up."

She also publicly thanked developers, surveyors and engineers for successfully adjusting to, and completing on time, new paperwork being required for plats.

A report from the Greene County Building & Zoning Office distributed to those present showed 61 building permits were issued in April, up from 48 permits issued in March.

Compared with last year's figures for both months, the number of permits issued in April were 13 percent lower, and the number of permits issued in March was 7 percent lower.

Tweed said those numbers were misleading, and that more large developments were being undertaken so far this year in comparison to the same time period last year.