Historic Old North Knoxville - Late Breaking News

First Annual Neighborhood Conference Highly Attended

By: Kim Davis (Old North Knoxville webmaster)
March 13, 2004

Saturday, March 13 was the First Annual Neighborhood Conference, put on by the Knox County Office of Neighborhoods. It was held in the new Knoxville Convention Center, and had exhibition booths set up to distribute information about various county, city, and non-profit organizations that serve residents of Knox County. There appeared to be several hundred residents attending the morning sessions, who were rewarded with an excellent lunch and a speech by Brenda Wynn, director of Community Outreach for United States Congressman Jim Cooper. This was probably the first time many of the attendees had been at a function inside the new conference center (including myself), which was also hosting a rather large conference about animal nutrition.

Conference goers were able to select two sessions (out of a total of eight) to attend. One of the sessions I chose was "Zoning and Codes."

Zoning and Codes

David Watson (East Tennessee Community Design Center) led the discussion after the four panel members gave their introductions. They were Bruce Wuethrich, Senior Director of Knox County Public Works; Chevelle Lewis, City of Knoxville Codes Administrator; Commissioner David Collins , Chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals; and Buzz Johnson, Director of Development Services, Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Some interesting factoids gleaned from the discussion:

Codes enforcement may be reached at 215-2118.

There is no differentiation made in upkeep requirements (e.g., mowing of grass) between residential and commercial properties in the county. However, if a lot is zoned commercial, they may store work vehicles and equipment anywhere on the property, as long as the sidewalks are not blocked.

Only one "inoperable" vehicle (as defined by Section 17-122 of city code) is allowed per residential property, which includes trailers. However, inoperable vehicles cannot be stored in the street. If they are, then call the police (215-4010).

There is no limit on the number of operable, registered cars that may be stored on residential property.

One drive-home work vehicle is allowed per residential property, and may include work vans, tow trucks, and the tractor portion of a tractor-trailer. These cannot be parked in the street.

Residential property containing lots of litter is generally not cited as a violation of codes. The city concentrates instead on enforcing cleanup of yards containing inordinate volumes of junk. One appliance or couch on the front porch would not fall into this definition. It is the fire department's responsibility to address properties that have front porches full of junk.

If a neighborhood suspects that a house zoned for single-family use is being used by more than five unrelated adults (not allowed), all the city can do is to inspect the exterior of the house for the number of exits, the number of meters, and obvious building codes violations. Chevelle Lewis explained that the city cannot enter the house or count the number of registered cars to "prove" that the house has too many occupants. Joe Hultquist, city councilman, said that some cities address this problem by requiring permits for street parking, and emphasized the importance of contacting him to let him know where problems are. Many audience members complained that this law is violated most frequently by college students living off campus in neighborhood single-family homes, and that the city should work with UT to combat this problem.

There was a long discussion at the end of the session regarding the perceived lack of control Knox County citizens have over zoning variances. Audience members commented that the "cards are stacked" against homeowners in favor of awarding variances to developers, and that it is not fair to expect average citizens to have constant vigilance to guard against zoning changes that would detract from their quality of life. Moreover, session attendees noted that there is the fear of retaliation for being outspoken about zoning violations and pending variances, and think it is the role of the government to enforce the existing codes. What is the use of sector planning, one woman asked, if developers can just hire powerful lawyers and get around these plans that citizens believe are in place to protect them? David Collins replied that economic development takes precedence over land-use planning rules. Buzz Johnson added, "You just have to understand the process," to which audience members shouted back, "Well, then, help us, help us!" Barbara Pelot, city councilwoman, then stood up from the audience and stated that it is mandatory that city councilmen and county commissioners listen to their constituents, and that she was personally bothered by the zoning appeals process. She agreed with Joe Hultquist that citizens need to contact their representatives to let them know how they feel about various issues.