Blog: City Blog

KPD, Airbnb, Ft. Dickerson Quarry and More: It's a Public Meeting Palooza!

If you love public forums, Power Point presentations, and earnestly engaging with your local government, have we got a treat for you! With a full slate of public meetings coming up in the next two weeks, it’s practically a fall festival of civic engagement – call it Public Meeting Palooza!

You’ll have a chance to learn about and weigh in on issues ranging from Knoxville Police Department procedures to the recreational use of the Fort Dickerson quarry to how the City of Knoxville should regulate short-term rental services like Airbnb. PLUS: major streetscapes in the Old City and North Knoxville AND revisions to the South Waterfront Form-Based Code.

Excited? Of course you are! So get your Leslie Knope on and keep reading for a schedule of upcoming meetings and a whole bunch of useful links.

#1. Topic: Streetscapes and Utility Projects on Central Street and Jackson Avenue
Time/Date/Place: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Central United Methodist Church, 201 E. 3rd Ave. (Fourth and Gill neighborhood).

Representatives from KUB, City Engineering and City Redevelopment staff will discuss plans and timeframes for the upcoming work. The Central Street project is about a $5 million combined KUB and City investment, and the Jackson Avenue upgrade represents about a $2 million investment.

#2. Topic: Police Advisory and Review Committee Quarterly Meeting
Time/Date/Place: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Vestal United Methodist Church, 115 Ogle Avenue (South Knoxville).

The Police Advisory and Review Committee (PARC) holds quarterly public meetings across the City to report on recent PARC activities and hear public questions, comments or concerns about Knoxville Police Department policies and procedures. PARC is an independent office that investigates citizen complaints about KPD and reports directly to the Mayor.

#3. Topic: Fort Dickerson Park Quarry Lake and Entrance Upgrades
Time/Date/Place: 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at the Kerns Bakery Building, 2110 Chapman Highway (South Knoxville).

We are seeking public input on recreation options for the quarry lake at Fort Dickerson. So come on out and give us your thoughts! There will also be an update on the gateway project at the park’s Chapman Highway entrance. The meeting is sponsored by the City of Knoxville, Aslan Foundation, Legacy Parks Foundation and Sanders Pace Architecture with PORT Urbanism.

This will be a great chance to hear about plans at Fort Dickerson and help shape the future of the park -- and a nice opportunity to see the recently restored Kerns Building!

#4. Topic: Regulation of Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb, etc.)
Time/Date/Place: 5 :30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Central United Methodist Church, 201 E. 3rd Ave. (Fourth and Gill neighborhood).

The use of online platforms like Airbnb and Home Away has led to an explosion in the market for Short-Term Rentals(STRs), in which private citizens rent out rooms or entire residences to visitors for periods of a few days to a few weeks. These types of rentals are already occurring in Knoxville, but they are largely illegal.

Like cities across the country, the City of Knoxville is working to develop an ordinance to permit and regulate STRs. City staff have identified major issues to be resolved in the ordinance and some possible approaches to them. A summary of those issues and approaches has been posted on the City website: click here.

Staff will seek input at this public meeting. Anyone unable to attend or wishing to comment further can send thoughts, concerns and questions to [email protected].

#5. Topic: Update to the South Waterfront Form-Based Code
Time/Date/Place: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at South Knox Elementary School, 801 Sevier Ave.

The South Waterfront Form-Based Code was adopted in 2007 and has been periodically updated during the past nine year. The proposed changes to be discussed at this meeting are best described as “legal housekeeping” – eliminating conflicts with other sections of City Code or clarifying confusing language.

“There are no proposed changes to the intent of the existing code, which encourages pedestrian- and environmentally-friendly development,” said Peter Ahrens, Director of Plans Review and Inspections.

For example, the current code identifies roof requirements related to emissivity standards that are not commonly used in the roofing industry. The proposed change will still require that the roofing materials be energy star compliant consistent with standards for energy efficiency.

If you have questions about any of the above meetings, just call the City's 311 line for more information.

Posted by On 12 October, 2016 at 11:35 AM