The first draft of the updated zoning map is now available online. The map reflects the proposed changes to the ordinance and shows how they would be applied to existing properties. 

Comments on the map will be accepted through Sept. 13, 2018, and will be evaluated for incorporation into a second draft that will be released later this fall. A special webpage has been developed to help gather location-specific comments.

To help understand the proposed changes to the zoning ordinance and map, documents are available on the website at www.recodeknoxville.com. You can find a document that gives an overview of some of the guiding principles behind the update. There is also an equivalency table that illustrates general alignments of the districts in the current ordinance and what those zones will be in the updated ordinance. 

Along with the map, the second draft of the ordinance is now available. Both are being presented at a series of community meetings throughout August and into the fall. Meeting details can be found at www.recodeknoxville.com. 

“It’s important that the public explores the updated map to see how the ordinance changes will affect them,” said Gerald Green, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission. “The ordinance will help shape Knoxville for the next 20 to 40 years, so it is important to share your comments and concerns before the final draft is presented to City Council.”

Knoxville’s zoning code hasn’t undergone a thorough review in nearly 60 years, and this update will allow the city to adopt modern standards. It will also help protect and enhance Knoxville’s sense of place over the next few decades. 

Knox County is projected to add 170,000 residents by 2040, and this update of the City’s zoning ordinance will help prepare the community for that growth by striking a balance between protecting historic characteristics of neighborhoods and creating standards that encourage dynamic growth. It will encourage investment, protect valued community assets, and support connectivity among people and places.

For more information, please contact Gerald Green at 865-215-3758 or [email protected]. You can also sign up to receive updates on the project at www.recodeknoxville.com.