Click the link below to read the Zoning Ordinance:
City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance Article 16, Section 16.3
The City of Knoxville Board of Zoning Appeals shall have the power and authority to grant variances from terms of this ordinance according to the procedure and under the restrictions set out in this section.
The purpose of the variance is to modify the strict application of the specific requirements of this ordinance in the case of
exceptionally irregular, narrow, shallow or steep lots, or other exceptional physical conditions, whereby such strict application would result in practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship which would deprive an owner of the reasonable use of his land.
The variance shall be used only where necessary to overcome some obstacle, as highlighted above, which is preventing an owner from using his property as the zoning ordinance intended.
Please note that mere loss in value does not justify a variance; there must be a deprivation of beneficial use of land.
BOARD OFFICE
If you have comments or questions about an agenda item or about the Board of Zoning Appeals, please the City of Knoxville Zoning Office at 865-215-4311.
BOARD MEMBERS
Five members are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council to each serve a term of five years.
MEETING SCHEDULE
The Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building, unless otherwise posted.
The monthly Board meeting agenda is published as a public notice in the Legal Notices section of the Knoxville News Sentinel at least 10 days prior to the monthly Board meeting.
APPLICATION
DEADLINE |
2025
MEETING DATES |
| (by 12:00 Noon ET) |
|
December 12 |
January 21, 2025 |
| January 9 |
February 18 |
| February13 |
March 18 |
| March 13 |
April15 |
| April 10 |
May 20 |
| May 8 |
June17 |
| June 12 |
July15 |
| July 10 |
August 19 |
| August 14 |
September 16 |
| September 11 |
October 21 |
| October 9 |
November 18 |
| November 13 |
December 16 |
GENERAL INFORMATION
Please read the following
prior to submitting a Board of Zoning Appeals application.
An applicant can request a variance from the
Zoning Code requirements or can appeal an administrative official’s interpretation of the Zoning Code.
Prior to submitting a variance application for your project, please reach out to a Zoning Examiner.
Applications are due by 12:00 Noon EST, on the deadline date, click
here for 2024 meeting dates and application deadline information. Click
here for 2025 meeting dates and application deadline information.
Incomplete applications will be returned for resubmission.
•
Applicant Name is the individual submitting the application, not a company
•
Applicant Email is where
all communications will be sent.
• Applications must be digital and signed by the applicant and they must be submitted as an attachment in a PDF or jpeg format, not embedded into the body of the email.
• Applications must include site plans and elevations, or they will be deemed incomplete.
• Applicant must describe the hardship conditions that apply to the variance request.
Loss in value does not justify a variance; there must be a deprivation of beneficial use of land.
• Correspondence will be directed to the person listed as the
applicant, please ensure this information is accurate.
•
Parcel#,
City Council District # and
Zoning District can be found in the "Maps" tab at
KGIS.org and these fields must be completed
• Due to size constraints, please limit your documentation only to information pertinent to your variance request.
• Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted as an attachment, not embedded into the body of the email.
• Completed applications may be submitted to our office in person or emailed to
[email protected].
• Once the Public Notice is submitted to be published, no new documentation will be added to the packets.
• Once your application has been reviewed you will receive an email for payment.
The fee is $250 per variance request. We accept Visa, Mastercard & Discover and checks made payable to: City of Knoxville
Applicants must remove the variance sign from the property after the meeting
MEETING INFORMATION
Applicants
must attend the meeting in person, or send a representative, to speak to the application. If no one is in attendance for your variance application, the application will not be heard. Some instances allow for attendance via ZOOM; however, if technology fails your meeting will be postponed to the following month.
Decisions of the Board of Zoning Appeals can be appealed to City Council within 15 days of the Board's decision. Permits may be issued after the appeal period has been exhausted.
MEETING SCHEDULE
The Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building, unless otherwise posted.
The monthly Board meeting agenda is published as a public notice in the Legal Notices section of the Knoxville News Sentinel at least 10 days prior to the monthly Board meeting.
Please contact the Development Services office at 865-215-4311 or
[email protected] with questions about attending or for alternate attendance options.
Development Services Fee Schedule