Future Knox land, vehicular plans seek Town input
Public input is still being sought for the Advance Knox initiative, which will help officials develop a land use and transportation plan to guide Knox County over the next two decades.
According to information provided from Advance Knox, this plan, once completed, “will establish policies, principles and concepts that guide future development and preservation. It will update future land use maps and policies that inform zoning and other smaller area plans and studies.”
Currently, the second round of public input solicitation is ongoing through Monday, Oct. 31, and those wishing to comment may do so via an online survey at https://live.metroquestsurvey.com/?u=ld6l6w#!/?p=web.
Additionally, Hardin Valley Planning Advocates is leading a Zoom meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, to discuss the survey and proposed scenarios from which to choose. Visit Hardin Valley Planning Advocates on Facebook for more information.
It also is not too late to request a community meeting, according to Cathy Olsen, director of environment and planning for Knox County’s Engineering and Public Works department, which is just one of many Knox County and Knoxville city employees who are helping community advocates and volunteers working on Advance Knox, which is about one year into an expected 18-month process.
“To request a meeting, visit https://advanceknox.org/ and scroll to the bottom of the page,” Olsen stated via e-mail. “This will initiate a request to host a meeting for your community group.
“We can conduct the meeting virtually or in person, depending on timing and availability,” she added. “We just ask that you organize attendance of around 20 (plus) folks for in-person events.”
While the plan will only apply to unincorporated portions of Knox County, both Farragut and Knoxville city residents are encouraged to participate in the Advance Knox process. “Both jurisdictions will participate as key stakeholders and are invested in the outcome,” an AK release stated.
“The County planning effort will focus on coordination among the three jurisdictions and may propose planning solutions to the City of Knoxville and Town of Farragut as appropriate.”
Additional resources and information may be found at https://advanceknox.org/.
“There are meeting materials and a presentation that folks might be interested in looking through, if they have time to do so,” Olsen stated. “We have tried to make it easy for people to get involved whether they are short on time or have all the time in the world.”
A third round of public input solicitation will take place after the first of the year, according to Advance Knox.com.
