The City of Knoxville and MPC are encouraging the public to attend a series of meetings for the Recode Knoxville zoning code update that will be held in October.

The third draft of the code and second draft of the map will be presented, and changes that were made from the last round of drafts will be discussed. 

Knoxville Area Urban League, SEEED and Centro Hispano have been assisting MPC by gathering input from specific sectors of the city. Two community meetings have been held in partnership with these organizations thus far, and one more is scheduled in October. 

There are also five upcoming community meetings that are being hosted in partnership with the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods. Other opportunities for the public to learn more include a Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting, two MPC Agenda Review meetings, and MPC’s regularly scheduled November meeting. All meetings are posted and updated at www.recodeknoxville.com.

Community outreach for Recode Knoxville began in May 2017, and more than 55 community meetings have been held thus far. These meetings have provided general information about the project, specific information about multiple drafts of the ordinance, and tutorials on the new zoning map. 

More than 750 comments have been received since the project began, informing City and MPC staff and consultants of changes needed for each draft of the ordinance. All comments are available to view online at www.recodeknoxville.com. 

“We encourage everyone to come to this round of meetings to discuss the latest revisions to the Recode draft.  A proposed ordinance will be presented to MPC in November and then to Council for their consideration,” stated City of Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero.

MPC Agenda Review
Tuesday, Oct. 9: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Small Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main St.

Recode Community Meeting – East
Tuesday, Oct. 16: 8:30-10:30 a.m.; hosted by Centro Hispano, Knoxville Area Urban League and SEEED
CAC East Neighborhood Center, 4200 Asheville Highway

Recode Community Meeting – East
Monday, Oct. 22: 6 p.m.; hosted by City of Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods 
Payne Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, 2714 Martin Luther King Jr Ave.

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 24: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 
Small Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main St.

Recode Community Meeting – West
Wednesday, Oct. 24: 6 p.m.; hosted by City of Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods 
Deane Hill Recreation Center, 7400 Deane Hill Drive NW

Recode Community Meeting – South
Thursday, Oct. 25: 6 p.m.; hosted by City of Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods
South-Doyle Middle School, 3900 Decatur Drive

Recode Community Meeting – Downtown
Monday, Oct. 29: 6 p.m.; hosted by City of Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods 
Overcoming Believers Church, 211 Harriet Tubman St.

Recode Community Meeting – North
Tuesday, Oct. 30: 6 p.m.; hosted by City of Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods
Church of the Good Shepherd, 5409 Jacksboro Pike

MPC Agenda Review
Tuesday, Nov. 6: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Main Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main St.

MPC Monthly Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 8: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Main Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main St.

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 also will help protect and enhance Knoxville’s sense of place over the next few decades by striking a balance between protecting historic characteristics of neighborhoods and creating standards that encourage dynamic growth. The goals of the updated zoning code are to protect valued community assets, support connectivity among people and places, and encourage investment. 

For more information, please contact MPC staff at [email protected]. You can also sign up to receive updates, view public feedback, and find all documents relating to the project at www.recodeknoxville.com.  

Anyone needing a disability accommodation to attend the community meetings, Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting or MPC meetings should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at [email protected] or 865-215-2034. For an English interpreter, contact the City Law Department at 865-215-2050.