Advance Knox - Choto/Concord

 

Future Land Use Map Amendments to the Concord and Choto Areas 


Advance Knox is an initiative through which Knox County has worked to replace the failed 2003 Knox County General Plan and develop a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to update Knox County's development related ordinances and regulations. 

I was engaged with the Advance Knox initiative from the beginning.  I showed up when asked.  I attended all the open houses and workshops, I provided input on surveys, and I attended or watched all the Growth Policy Plan Coordinating Committee meetings.  

When the first draft of the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan was released, I studied it.  Interestingly, Knox County's proposed plan has land use concepts that are similar to the Town of Farragut's Comprehensive Land Use Plan including a future land use map and land use designations.  Having served on the Farragut's municipal planning commission for the last 10 years, I was already comfortable with navigating such a plan.  

Based on my experience and knowledge and the long standing relationships I have established over the past 8 years with Knox County elected officials and staff, I was uniquely positioned to effectively advocate for the Choto and Concord areas.  Specifically, I was able successfully advocate to reduce the density on the future land use map in the Choto and Concord areas and have Choto added to the list of small area studies to study the fragile Choto transportation network.

Regarding Knox County's Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan, the timeline below outlines just how much time and effort went into my successful advocacy for Choto and Concord.

January 5, 2024– Met with Director Mandi Benedict and County Commissioner Kim Frazier to discuss the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan during which I highlighted my concerns with the land use designations of historical Concord Village. At some point changes were made to the map, but I still had concerns that the changes were not enough.

February 2, 2024 – Hosted a meeting with representatives of historical Concord Village to educate them on the Comprehensive Plan and give them guidance on how to effectively advocate for their concerns. At some point, the future land use map was amended based on their advocacy.

February 5, 2024 – I attended Knox County Commission's informational workshop on the Advance Knox.  During this workshop Commissioner Kim Frazier advocated to allow for the Rural Living placetype to be extended into the planned growth areas on the Growth Policy Plan Map.  Subsequently, I reviewed the zoning map in Choto and determined that quite a bit of the built out areas of Choto fit the Rural Living placetype.

February 22, 2024 – Knox County staff attended a Growth Policy Plan workshop held before the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s regularly scheduled meeting.  I prepared a powerpoint presentation for that workshop during which I advocated for the Choto area to redesignate the placetype for some of the built out areas and undeveloped property in Choto from Suburban Residential to Rural Living. Also, I pointed out with specific detail the fragile nature of the transportation network in the Choto area.

February 26, 2024 – The amendments I advocated during the February 22nd workshop were made to the future land use map. 

February 26, 2024 –  County Commission Zoning Meeting – Based on the changes made to the future land use map, I called County Commissioner John Schoonmaker to request that he advocate for 2 units/acre on the Harvey Road rezoning request since property designated Rural Living on the future land use map is limited to 2 units/acre.  Anyone watching that meeting would note the confusion around Commissioner John Schoonmaker’s request and the staff’s response.

February 27, 2024 – I had separate phone conversations with County Commissioner John Schoonmaker and County Commissioner Kim Frazier to express my confusion on what was stated by Knox County planning staff regarding the allowance of 3 units/acre on a property that would be designated Rural Living on the new land use map.  Additionally, during my conversation with Commissioner Frazier it was relayed to me that Choto would be added to the list of small area studies. 

March 6, 2024 – Met with Amy Brooks (Director of Knoxville Knox County Planning) to discuss the Comprehensive Plan and among my concerns were the densities that were considered indirectly related to Rural Living for properties in the planned growth area of the growth map (residential development is restricted to 2 units/acre in rural area on growth map per Growth Policy).

March 18, 2024 - Met with County Commissioner Kim Frazier to review and discuss my presentation for the March 28th Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

March 28, 2024 – Learned that owners of undeveloped property in planned growth area of Choto were pushing to have property redesignated Suburban Residential. 

March 28, 2024 - During the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, I presented an extensive powerpoint detailing the Advance Knox process, discussing the Growth Policy Plan, the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan and the Unified Development Ordinance. 

April 5 - 15, 2024 - I had several phone calls with Commissioner Kim Frazier, Director Mandi Benedict, and an East Knox County planning advocate regarding maintaining the Rural Living designation and density for the designation in the planned growth area on growth map (Growth Policy Plan already limits density to 2 units/acre in the rural area of the growth map).

April 16, 2024 - Final phone calls with Commissioner John Schoonmaker and Commissioner Kim Frazier regarding amendments to the Comprehensive Land Use and Transporation Plan.



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