Public Feedback

Don't we have a choice? Why Recode, Knoxville never did enforce the codes.

Attached is a compilation of comments regarding administration and process of the Zoning Code which had been submitted in response to previous drafts. 

Thank you reading this and addressing it during the upcoming work session.

As you may know, I have had a 37-year career as a City Planner and currently live in East Knoxville.

I have participated in the rewriting of two zoning codes and am familiar with policy as well as development review and code enforcement.

Thank you for your time on this matter.

Very best

Sandra Korbelik, AICP

In preparation for the ReCode workshop this evening, please see the attached PDF signed letter. 

If there is no house # on lot, what does that mean?

I received a letter about this, but the instructions to check resining for a specific address do not work. There is no "map feedback" link that I see. I want to know what changes are proposed around me. It would be nice if your instructions matched the choices on the web page or were clearer if I'm missing something. This is what makes people hate government.

As a new condo unit owner in the Southside Waterfront Neighborhood, I would like to express my interest in the Recode Knox project.  Gerald was a speaker today at the TNSA Development Symposium conference.  Very interesting.   With regards to the form-based codes I offer the following basic concerns from an owner's perspective and fellow planner:

• 1. Form Based Codes - are they clear and predictable for the developer and landowner to understand what is and is not permitted?  Are they easy and flexible to developer while still maintaining basic zoning principles?
• 2. How will the SW4 zoning district change or will it remain the same?
• 3. How is homeowner/unit owner parking determined, guest parking, overflow parking on site and on street determined?  I ask because CityView has a parking problem.  The side streets are technically owned by the city and thus not our designated overflow parking areas controlled by HOA.  West Blount Avenue is also crowded.  If the undeveloped parcels on either side are developed then we will really have an issue, especially during football season.  Again, there is no guest parking on site.  When the riverwalk is completed and more used by the public, will there be a parking area or trailhead with parking for the public or will they also use the side streets currently used by CityView?  
• 4. Sidewalks are fantastic, and we thank you.  However, still a need for at least 2 on site spaces per unit plus guest parking.  
• Thank you for all that the city is doing to reinvest in South Knox and riverfront areas.  It is becoming more walkable, connected, safer and revitalized - one project at a time.

To whom it may concern, There is a lot about this recode Knoxville that I am unaware of. I would like to gain more insight as to what this entails and how my household will be affected. Thank you. 

Please consider these suggestions for the new codes in Knoxville. Thank you. Addressing affordable housing/tiny houses Property owners can put a tiny house on their property if they are going to occupy the house. This code must exclude/forbid major developments of "trailer parks" or track housing by large developers, that is, limit the number of units per acre. Affordable housing must be encouraged and maintained. Developments of over 5 housing units must include one affordable unit per 5 units that is a significant proportion of all developments must be affordable housing. Wording must exclude a developer setting up multiple licenses for developments of 4 units, that is write the code so that the obvious ways around the requirement are addressed. The affordable unit must be within one mile of the other units so as to spread affordable housing through the county and reduce the building of slum developments. The affordable unit must be deeded in such a way that it is owner occupied for a long time, 20 years or more, before it can put put on the open market. The affordable unit will only be available to buyers/families who are near the poverty line. Sidewalks must be required in all new developments/construction and any substantial redevelopment projects. All new developments must site houses/buildings so that solar collectors can easily be fitted. Developments must include a certain number of trees per acre, the more the better. See above for solar siting. All new developments must provide storm water abatement for all impermeable surfaces, roofs, driveways, streets, patio/porches etc. New developments must offer ground source loops for heatpumps. Up to 6 female chickens should be allowed as pets. Get rid of the present City code/ordinance regarding chickens and model it on the language used to address pot bellied pigs. Short term rentals owner occupied houses must be allowed to do short term rentals that follow common sense noise and nuisance norms. Absentee landlords must be discouraged from short term rentals in residential neighborhoods, that is they cannot own/operate more than 1 in any given neighborhood. New developments must maintain wildlife corridors. New developments must set aside right of way for greenways, walking biking trails. Ideally these would be off street and connect to the right of way in adjoining neighborhoods/developments.

Recode is the most unprofessional thing I've ever seen in Knoxville. It is ridiculous to end comments before we can read Draft Five. Unless there are huge changes I will work to recall any City Council member who votes to approve this mess. It is so arrogant to think in two years you could redo fifty years of zoning. The vast majority of people do not want the ADU's. The Mixed Use design is not ADA compliant. The changes to commercial property are idiotic. Your idea to restrict home business is a civil rights violation. When you are in court with the many lawsuits that will come ask yourself, "why did we rush this"? Expect a lot of staff time to be tied up in court. Your arrogance earned that. Fix this mess before it is voted on. City Council has no planning experience. Why did you pass on such an incomplete incomprehensible product?

I would hope that Draft 5 has significant changes to the Mixed Use design. If not, I have no choice but to report you to the Federal Government. https://www.ada.gov In your madcap rush to get this done you have done a great disservice to all handicapped people who live in and travel to Knoxville. I wish each of you would understand the difficulty of being handicapped. I am very disappointed in what you have done. You should be too.

You need to know there have been private meetings to oppose Recode in court. While I was pretty keen on Recode even I have issues now. People do not want the ADU. Take them out. They aren't worth the bother. I liked the Mixed Use. Not now. You need to find a better design. It is clear you have ADA problems. Ignoring this will hurt everything. Why changed all the zoning? You could have just done Mixed Use and not have to have all this protest. It is unfair to end comments when no one has seen Draft 5. Why would you do that? You are begging for problems. Your PR is pathetic. So you want to make it worse? Why would you do that? It's clear all of you are sick of this project. Think how you will feel with multiple court cases. Send Recode back to the Planning Commission and get it fixed. You have no idea how much opposition there is. I attended a protest meeting in North Knoxville. There were statements that were quite severe. Like suing City Council members for ouster. I don't think you have a handle on how the public sees Recode. Good luck.

I own the building at 908 Tyson Street and note the zoning code is CG2. What does that mean? I couldn't find an explanation anywhere for the codes.

I believe RN-5 is the appropriate zoning for this property - given existing surrounding land use and conditions within proximity. 

I have looked at the City's master plan of the South Knoxville Waterfront and specifically at the Bell Tower Walk which is on axis with Atchley. My concern is that with the I-G zoning following the old rail tracks, the Bell Tower Walk will be limited in the future and the residential district above will be disconnected from the pedestrian friendly area below. As a designer myself, and stakeholder in the neighborhood, I think the SW-3 zoning should continue up Atchley Street at least to Yarnell Ave to reinforce the power of that axis and be in place for future development. Regardless of whether Atchley remains predominantly residential or the Bell Tower Walk eventually moves up the hill, having SW-3 would prevent an industrial development from cutting off the neighborhood from the riverfront or the Tower Walk from being visually terminated by industrial buildings. I think this will be especially important once the Rails to Trails path is installed and large groups of people are going to it right at that point. Finally, the river is visible up to Yarnell and there is a clear connection to what is the SW zone, I think the pattern already in the plan that has SW-3 on the North end of Atchley, should continue up the hill. Thank you very much! 

As a citizen of Knox County who will be affected by this vote who represents my voice? As a former Knox County Commissioner, I took my oath of office a a representative of not only my district but as a representative for everyone in our community. In doing so, I tried to vote to have a positive impact while at the same time diminishing unintended consequences as best as I could. With this massive rezoning of City parcels, there are more unintended consequences to this vote than benefits. In my opinion, there are serious questions that need to be answered; such as, if home businesses are not allowed, how does that impact home daycares, homeschools, and home churches? If higher density rates are the goal, has the school system, law enforcement, fire and other emergent service agencies been invited for input? If parking is recommended for behind the building in new mixed-use developments, how do Americans with Disabilities requirements impact this recommendation? Have property owners been properly noticed? How will these new codes be enforced? What will be the consequences-fines and/or liens? What are those amounts? What are the steps or processes in place for a property owner to object or oppose any enforcement? Where or how does one address their grievances? As a former Commissioner, I took zoning votes very seriously. Any zoning issue on the agenda, I would personally go and review the site, review the recommendations from MPC, and ensure that I was aware of neighbors/neighborhood viewpoints and impact. My vote was predicated on whether the zoning change would fit the community. I cannot square how any elected official could vote for such a massive rezoning without taking into consideration the impact could have on individual property owners. In closing, I will quote one of your fellow former council members, who in my opinion was a tireless voice for neighborhoods: "...What is broke?"-Barbara Pelot https://www.knoxtntoday.com/26429-2/ Barbara Pelot Thank you for this review of not only their workshop, but the disturbing consequences of the re-code movement. What is broke?? Knoxville's handling of zoning/re-zoning issues have been handled with tranparency and without out-of-town interference. We do NOT need or desire this manner of government over-ride of voter/taxpayer involvement. Listen to the "people". Workshops are worthless if they are merely for "show". 

Why in the world did MPC pass Recode when it is not complete? City Council can't fix this mess. Bring it back to MPC and fix it. My brother is an Architect in Atlanta. He told me we are much better off with our current zoning. He also said you will be sued by HUD if you build Mixed Use with the Recode design. How do you not know that? Very disappointed in MPC. You are not doing your job.

Many cities have adopted FireWise landscaping codes to protect lives and property from wildfires. Well planned landscaping that conforms to FireWise guidelines will enhance properties and ensure a safe environment for citizens. FireWise standards are endorsed by the Tennessee State Fire Marshall. 

Recode Knoxville’s proposed landscaping codes conflicts with FireWise guidelines which will create a fire hazard across the city. The proposed codes should adopt FireWise and BurnSafe Tennessee guidelines. Attached are several brochures from the State of Tennessee highlighting some of advantages of FireWise Communities.

We received a first notice by mail last week of ReCode. Being a multiple property owner in the City of Knox, this has not been adequately communicated to us. This is wrong and unjust to change our property rights without proper individual notice in a timely manner. I am spending hours searching a website and other avenues trying to find out what this really means. This is being poorly implemented and needs to slow down and make proper individual notifications to each homeowner as to what this could mean. We do not understand what is happening and we are feeling betrayed.

Your amendment stating that proper and adequate notification in the two Knox News Sentinel articles is ridiculous! NO ONE READS THE PAPER!

We are at 8701 Unicorn Dr. Right now we are zoned commercial. The current proposal has us going to mixed use. Will that make the taxes for this property go up?

the old Bob Cawrse land on Rennoc rd and Tillary rd and Crawford is a big concern to the area that we life in. it was multifamily apartments.[ since torn down ] we are afraid of the owner putting in small houses for rental that will further deteriorate the area we live in. is there any protections in place for us homeowners to prevent futher deteration from future unwanted developement

To whom it may concern,
There is a lot about this recode Knoxville that I am unaware of. I would like to gain more insight as to what this entails and how my household will be affected.

Thank you.

where can I read exactly what all the different designations on the map legend mean? For example, R-2, infill housing, R-5, ridgetop, historic overlay , etc…

On March 25, 2019 I sent you the following.  I am resending it to make sure that you received it.

Recently I communicated with you about the zoning on the west side of Sherrod Road, north of Mimosa. I need to make some corrections. The east side of Sherrod Road is zoned R-3. The five feet on the west side of should be zoned R-2. I quote from a rezoning ordinance passed by the Knoxville City Council at a meeting on July 6, 1985 entitled "An Ordinance to rezone property of Kern's Inc from R-2 . . .to I-3, east of Chapman Highway, west side of Sherrod Street . . . - MPC approved I-3 General Industrial District with a 5' buffer strip at eastern portion to property (west of Sherrod St) to be eft in the R-2, General Residential District) (11-3) (5-U-82-RZ). 

Below is my original posting on March 6, 2019

There is a five-foot buffer strip on the west side of Sherrod Road, south of Mimosa that was left in the R-2 zoning when the eastern portion of the Kerns property was rezoned in 1982. The current zoning map very clearly shows that the R-2 zoning extends to the west side of Sherrod Road. The recode map does not show this. This was done at City Council, July 6, 1982. This was done to prevent increased traffic on Sherrod should access to the Kerns property be allowed from Sherrod Road. Sherrod road is a narrow, winding road that cannot take anymore traffic than that of the residents.

Staff Reply:

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I will pass this on to our GIS staff so that the map can be corrected. The change will be shown on the next draft of the proposed zoning map, which will be released in mid to late April
 

I support Recodeknoxville wholeheartedly. Please let us do what is right for our city by planning this way. We have the opportunity as our city grows and develops to improve even the air we breathe. Please support these changes for the benefit of all.

I realize that Recode Knoxville does not address noise, but with the purpose of Recode Knoxville to create a more dense population in certain areas, are the appropriate groups working to better enforce current noise laws/regulations and/ or create new legislation for noise? 

I live on Kingston Pike and cannot believe how the noise level has increased over the last 5 years with the increase in population  due to the development of downtown. I'm not opposed to the multi-purpose development but I think for everyone to live together in close quarters noise is a major factor. 

In addition, vehicles without mufflers are harming our environment as well as our ears! 
If there is one thing our city can do is provide protection for the environment and its citizens.

I notice that a portion of my property, that includes about half of my house, falls within an area designated HP. I can't find any definitive resource regarding HP online, except references back to 2008-2011. I'm interested in what restrictions the HP designation will place, both on me as an established homeowner and on the newly developed apartment complex abutting my property. Can you point to a resource so we may understand what's about to happen to us?

Please protect our orange zone properties R1-R3. We need this in time of ever growing development, we are losing our communities, neighborhoods, inner-city schools to big business and developers. We need to know and care about our neighbors, our neighborhood children and schools. If we loose this we have lost out on a lot. I was born and raised in East Knoxville. I once lived in a house in Parkridge, when we moved to Burlington I thought we had moved to a mansion. We had an upstairs, downstairs, basement, lots of yard with fruit trees. I could walk to Fair Garden Elementary, stores on McCalla, Asheville Hwy and the Holston Shopping Center were plentiful. We could ride our bikes safely to the ballfield on Wilson Ave or Winona Ave. I have had the privilege and blessing of owning three homes in Northeast and East Knoxville, I worked several years in downtown Knoxville. This area has always been a special part of who I am and very dear part of my existence. I hear stories now of how hard it is for young adults to find affordable housing, buy a home to raise their children, families having to move in together to share expenses. I see how blessed I was and how difficult it would be if I was trying to raise children and buy a home.

Currently own a newly built, 2015, single family home at 6012 Blossom Rd. Zoned as Low Density residential. New Zoning turns it into Hillside & ridgetop protection. How do I get that changed to Low density residential once again?

For the past year, our community has been updated on RECODE by a handful of dedicated professionals/homeowners who work tirelessly attending meetings, and workshops to supply our community with the readers digest form of updates which has been a mammoth task to say the least. We thank and appreciate their dedication immensely because this whole process has been way too confusing for the average homeowner to comprehend. It's been stated that there has been 80 public meetings and workshops, most of us cannot attend due to a timeframe that interferes with work obligations. Why not communicate via US Mail earlier? Why not mail a survey on public opinion?? Finally homeowners get a vague letter mailed to their homes in February advising on the upcoming vote? Wow!

I need a copy of a certified address (or whatever I need for building permit) for 204 kingwood dr 37918. thanks

I support Recodeknoxville wholeheartedly. Please let us do what is right for our city by planning this way. We have the opportunity as our city grows and develops to improve even the air we breathe. Please support these changes for the benefit of all.

I support recode knoxville...hope you will too as my representative

How does Rezone Knoxville affect residents who reside within the 37921 Empowerment Zone. Please do NOT reply with a host of terms which will require a Thesaurus to comprehend the nature of your response. Thank you in advance for your applied effort.

hi,
our property in the subject line is currently under C-6 zoning which is just a commercial zoning.

what would the new zoning mean for this property? (C-G-3?)
any changes  
i can find something that describes the new coding....pls send if that's easier

A new neighbor moved in to the house next to my daughter. He proceeded to build a shed on that ends right on their property line. Is this legal-thought there had to be a certain space between buildings.

I visited the MPC in January and they showed me the zoning plans for this area and how it would provide the opportunity for higher density use on these 50' lots. Now, reviewing what is allowed and the requirements within that zoning and their limitations, nothing but single family houses can be built on these lots. I own 1425 Woodbine Avenue, at the meeting we discussed building a smaller multi unit (condos) / townhouse development, but per the minimum requirements in the new zoning that will not be allowed. I am confused, does the City of Knoxville want people to redevelop its urban core or not? Unless I am missing something, which is very possible, it looks like it does not based on these zoning requirements. If I could get some insight into this, that would be beneficial as I have held this lot for potential development and now it looks to be worthless to me.

Recently I communicated with you about the zoning on the west side of Sherrod Road, north of Mimosa. I need to make some corrections. The east side of Sherrod Road is zoned R-3. The five feet on the west side of should be zoned R-2. I quote from a rezoning ordinance passed by the Knoxville City Council at a meeting on July 6, 1985 entitled "An Ordinance to rezone property of Kern's Inc from R-2 . . .to I-3, east of Chapman Highway, west side of Sherrod Street . . . - MPC approved I-3 General Industrial District with a 5' buffer strip at eastern portion to property (west of Sherrod St) to be eft in the R-2, General Residential District) (11-3) (5-U-82-RZ).

Your map does not explain what the codes mean what is a RN2? I know the R is residential, but what is the significance of the N or the number 2?

Where can I find detail information about the recode codes. The map only provides single word de-coding,

Yesterday I submitted a comment which mentioned Sherrod Road north of Mimosa. It should have referred to Sherrod Road South of Mimosa. My apologizes for my mistake.

I hope your week is off to a great start. Fourth & Gill Neighborhood Organization sent a letter to the Mayor and Council last week on the subject of Recode and for some reason I did not copy you guys. My bad—you will find the letter which was officially approved by our board attached. Please enter it into the record and consider it’s request. 

Please see the attached comments from Knoxville Transportation Authority regarding Recode Knoxville. Thank you!