Advance Knox
create a new plan based on public input and data.
Advance Knox has two parts:
The Growth Policy Plan gives a broad outline of where growth should be and what areas should remain rural
The Future Land Use Plan is more specific and identifies specific developments suitable for specific areas of land.
Together, the plans will guide how Knox County grows and where growth will occur. Ideally, it will make the county less lopsided by encouraging more development in underdeveloped places like east Knox County.
That means, if the plan is approved, Knox County could see more town centers, fewer homes on rural plots and fewer traffic jams.
The hope is that allowing a wider variety of housing types will ease affordability concerns, and increasing density will prevent sprawl and preserve 4,700 acres of rural land.
The plan accounts for current neighborhoods that are growing and where migration trends are heading, Knox County Engineering and Public Works Director of Environment and Planning Cathy Olsen told Knox News.
Why was Advance Knox made?
Knox County is growing rapidly, and leaders say growth isn’t sustainable under current land use rules. Leaving the guidelines as is, the population spike would likely lead to sprawling subdivisions eating up valuable green space and farmland without the proper roads and commercial hubs to support those new neighbors.
At the beginning of the Advance Knox process, Jacobs said the current county planning guidelines are “archaic,” restrict growth and make it tough to bring amenities like grocery stores and services to the heart of residential areas.
The current rules governing what can be built and where in Knox County are decades old. In 1998, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation requiring counties to develop comprehensive growth plans, covering projected growth for 20 years.
What is Knox County’s Growth Policy Plan?
The Growth Policy Plan gives a broad sense of the unincorporated county land segments primed for development and ones that should be left rural. It includes some rules for building, notably reducing the number of allowable homes per acre from three to two in rural areas.
This part of Advance Knox is what caused drama with Farragut.
Who approves the Growth Policy Plan?
The Growth Policy Plan has now been approved by everyone: the Knox County Commission, the Knoxville City Council and the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Knox County Commission unanimously approved it Feb. 26, and the Knoxville City Council approved it 7-2 on March 5. Councilmembers Amelia Parker and Andrew Roberto were the dissenting votes.
After an initial vote against the plan on March 28, the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the plan 3-2 on April 11. Alderman Scott Meyer flipped his vote, while aldermen Drew Burnette and David White stuck with their vote against.
It was created with input from Knoxville, Knox County and Farragut representatives as well as input from the public.
What is the Future Land Use Plan?
The Future Land Use plan - the other half of Advance Knox - specifies which development types - like town centers, commercial space, residential subdivisions and more - could be built (and would be most suitable) on certain tracts of land.
Who approves the Future Land Use Plan?
Only two bodies need to approve this part of the plan: the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission and the Knox County Commission.
When the county commission approved the Growth Policy Plan, it did so contingent on a vote in favor of the Future Land Use Plan, which is happening April 22 in the Main Assembly room of the City County Building.
It’s the final hurdle for Advance Knox.
Unlike the Growth Policy Plan, both commissions can make edits to the plan.
How will Advance Knox impact me?
The short answer: it depends on where you live.
You can find where your property lies on the Future Land Use Plan with Advance Knox’s interactive map at advanceknox.org. Click on the “interactive map” button.
If you live in east or south Knox County, you’ll likely see more development in your area.
This plan doesn’t mean you’ll definitely see change if you live in what’s called a planned growth area. The boundaries set by the Growth Policy Plan and Future Land Use Plan only outline areas that are suitable for future development.
It could impact farmers living in areas that were previously rural but will be in Planned Growth areas.
Because land in those areas will be more valuable to developers since there’s less of it, neighbors are worried about losing nearby farmers and farms since developers will pay more for rural land.
Will Advance Knox save Knox County money?
Jacobs and other county officials say Advance Knox could save the county $4.8 million a year, whereas the status quo would lose $2 million.
It would cost more to serve the county with outdated infrastructure if the status quo is maintained. The new plan would be more efficient and will generate more revenue since there could be more cash registers in the county and it will cost less to maintain infrastructure.
Why is Advance Knox so controversial?
Growth and change will always be controversial to some people.
Many people against Advance Knox are concerned that development will be too dense and strain infrastructure that can barely hold its own like Northshore Drive.