[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6140691,"mediaKeyId","5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76","parentId",5577585,"title","Staff recommends denial of drive-through bank at North Shore Town Center, saying design fails town-center intent","audioSeconds",493,"startMs",3507000,"endMs",4000000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76&start=3507&end=4000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76/thumbnail_3507000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6140691/Tennessee/Staff-recommends-denial-of-drive-through-bank-at-North-Shore-Town-Center-saying-design-fails-town-center-intent","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140691-912e0957af9882765054c4260d53012c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822356&Signature=fntMhfnNVZQBxQYpDqJS-xgafWOI3Uad76i68h9rXGA5Cyue4apF8XDy1kwJ9p-LIqIEJa5pn0vPepAoMtB4Eo9bmNKVd9P-saOlsEd8VEWEpjEjD2yjTHsZ8CPLFIUGNheWEFYU4Gg0hhulGjt~cYGRLzI7q6QmZBaN5m74DM9LVJQw-QsW1EK-tIDGdIl8W49g-G28Zq5CR3GAJ-SzZ3kMieK8JxKn238ZQptK5~hxsbAV4Cz2K4SnLZcbh6oSWfn7Bxt1odBWR1gYCiZZU2DhH9USQ8qPXRcXyXl1tly8BaiU5aZY2c07BIqDikSOJvPCY1E80cUvxHYrek~45g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Knoxville, TN","date","2025-08-12T18:08:13Z","article","Planning staff recommended denial of alternative-compliance relief for a proposed branch bank and drive-through at North Shore Town Center, saying the site plan departs from the original town-center (TC1) intent of pedestrian-oriented buildings close to the road and rear parking.
A staff presenter described the proposal as a single-story, roughly 4,000-square-foot structure with two drive-through lanes and a bypass lane located between the building and Town Center Boulevard and with surface parking to the side and rear. Staff noted the town-center zoning (TC1) and its alternative-compliance provision are intended to encourage pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development built close to the street; in contrast, the proposed design places drive-through lanes between the building and the road.
The site is constrained by a sewer-line easement that the applicant cited as a reason for building placement; staff said at least from a two-dimensional review \"there's no evident reason why that sewer line couldn't be relocated, behind the structure\" but acknowledged that utility relocation is an engineering and utility-district question.
Staff concluded the alternative-compliance submittal did not meet the town-center zoning's purpose and intent and recommended denial of the request. Staff noted the town-center master plans and design guidelines show buildings placed close to streets, plazas and boardwalks rather than drive-through lanes between building and road. Staff recommended denial and invited further coordination on how to best meet TC1's pedestrian and mixed-use expectations if the applicant wishes to revise the plan.
No formal action was taken at the agenda-review meeting; staff said the item will return for further consideration with more detail on utilities and on any feasible site adjustments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning R 399 250812 Agenda Review","oneSentenceSummary","Staff recommended denying alternative-compliance relief for a proposed one-story, 4,000-square-foot bank with drive-through lanes located between the building and the road in the North Shore Town Center; staff said the proposal conflicts with TC1 town-center intent and original masterplan visuals.","taxTitle","Planning Meetings, Knoxville City, Knox County, Tennessee","taxId",72439,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6140696,"Staff backs adaptive reuse of Galbraith School for 44 housing units with conditions to ensure accessibility and preservation",306,2572000,2878000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76&start=2572&end=2878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76/thumbnail_2572000.jpg","/articles/6140696/Tennessee/Staff-backs-adaptive-reuse-of-Galbraith-School-for-44-housing-units-with-conditions-to-ensure-accessibility-and-preservation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140696-2813bb25d20317b22301e837f9eef8d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822356&Signature=M-NP4nUfMsY3EwRQAip2Hk5CZmgR8kXk7zqmdN7QY3wACjlwg-SZpK7B7vuVEbIluATF0Psxy4oyXuzyelsZHVRhgrQtdXyZkgj9IVhBjTRWMwTL4Z6hwdJ5FeN3IDRL5-L1-EvEntnq1hZBcwi37gXJG-KL5PsHiRHED1IE7vHPodkRAH9fQ~ptXhgjoCkW~eXL-IBclfMnnNOXqA2OrsL13FcahqvpPs0~t3DIjqfe9GTo~Og~nkjiY9aVSsjSpV8qW34mJoGTg-BO-O7NkxBshJMz4wpbNkWjeqhycrVU2FAz9pXbqRmcVSyA~XYjVyZDNuzVy0u0sWIoEfOggg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff recommended approval of a plan-development application to adaptively reuse the vacant Galbraith School campus at 4333 Galliprey School Road for residential housing, preservation and public art.
The staff presentation described the project as a two-phase plan on a 2.6-acre lot: adaptive reuse of the 1930 Galbraith School (designed by Frank O. Barber) into 36 dwelling units (one-, two- and three-bedroom units) and an additional second phase with eight townhouses on cleared open space. Staff said the application would require three exceptions from the RN1 zoning district: an increase to impervious-surface maximum (from 40% to 51%), permission for multifamily and townhouse dwellings, and allowance for more than one principal structure on the site.
Staff concluded the property already had impervious surfaces that exceeded the RN1 maximum and said the proposed redevelopment largely reuses paved areas. The staff report listed two public benefits to justify exceptions: preservation and adaptive reuse of a historic building and incorporation of public art and programming for community engagement; staff recommended also considering a historic-zoning overlay to further secure preservation outcomes.
Because the applicant proposes replacing deteriorated asphalt with a gravel lot, staff recommended three conditions to ensure accessibility and long-term maintenance: (1) required ADA-compliant parking spaces and access aisles must remain paved, (2) a secondary paved ADA crosswalk must connect the proposed townhouses to the main building and courtyard, and (3) the driveway to Galliprey School Road must be paved at least 10 feet inside the property line; staff also specified the gravel surface must be clean, dust-free stone installed on a grid framework to prevent migration and rutting.
Staff said these conditions are intended to improve safety, access and long-term viability and recommended approval of the plan development. A staff presenter noted the application did not state whether units would be income-restricted or subsidized and that such commitments, if provided, would be considered an additional public benefit in the plan-development review.","Planning staff recommended approval of a plan-development application to convert the historic Galbraith School into 36 affordable apartments and eight townhouses, citing historic preservation and public-art benefits; staff proposed conditions for ADA paving, crosswalks, and driveway paving.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6140701,"City law department proposes zoning edits to align vested-rights deadlines with new state law",315,1673000,1988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76&start=1673&end=1988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76/thumbnail_1673000.jpg","/articles/6140701/Tennessee/City-law-department-proposes-zoning-edits-to-align-vested-rights-deadlines-with-new-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140701-e01d0445f1ad6493095992fae927f703/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822356&Signature=KLcEmsKzzEa5L1yKo7-YcT60xQaiSDenbKrb8ofxrgmfLgcyDeQ8YRGzBjXxmvDvosG8~IndjKADiGeH740S8rScnW-aRTVekNzXVDvWD7oWqLHQI3pASq2n55sORz5p1deJAdEb~z932F5p3WejlmYistqon0t-OovJNk0OL3ucEouercD~czgXkduNfx72wHmDG8U8UaoqHWsAjoGsjQuvO1Upj7a8oEdaHTbYHJL~IMzl3nLzx9w4NMew7n3TfICMOWOto4rSrWKOT2YXXSZKytJM9dCmhNHzvq783ZW3fS0Wajt-gqI3AuGlibi3JHRnodKgQOKPm-uN-sX-AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Christina McGraws Tillery, staff attorney with the City of Knoxville Law Department who handles land-use decisions, presented code amendments to align the city's vested-rights rules with recent changes in state law (Tennessee Code Annotated, section 13-4-310).
\"Having vested rights basically means that the development regulations are frozen in place for a certain amount of time for a project,\" Christina said, explaining that the state statute now ties vesting to the date a complete application is submitted and lengthens the shortest vesting period from one year to three years in some cases. She said the law's new structure also links longer vesting periods to appeal timelines.
City staff proposed edits to define when a submission is \"complete\" and when it is in \"substantial compliance\" with the zoning code, with draft language intended to exclude proposals that would need variances and to treat board review items (for example, historic or design-review board rulings) in a specified way. Christina said the planning, inspections, engineering and law departments collaborated on the draft definitions.
To implement the statutory changes staff also proposed giving the zoning administrator explicit authority to make vested-rights determinations and to add a 30-day appeal deadline for administrative decisions: 30 days for applicants to appeal a denial, and 30 days for the public to appeal an issued permit after it is published online. Christina demonstrated the city's permit-search tools and noted the city can now publish issued permits in a searchable database, enabling a 30-day public-appeal window.
Christina said staff also made housekeeping edits to align local code terminology with the state statute and that the zoning-administrator authority edits required corresponding changes to the section of the code that lists zoning-administrator powers. Staff did not request immediate adoption at the agenda-review session and indicated the proposal would return for formal consideration at a future meeting.","City staff attorney presented proposed zoning-code amendments to implement recent Tennessee statutory changes to vesting of development regulations, including a 30-day administrative-appeal deadline and a revised definition of \"submission\" and \"substantial compliance.\"",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6140706,"Staff refines middle-housing code: narrower lot-widths, removed 20% administrative variation; appeals follow for nonconforming lots",0,1072000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76&start=1072&end=1072","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76/thumbnail_1072000.jpg","/articles/6140706/Tennessee/Staff-refines-middle-housing-code-narrower-lot-widths-removed-20-administrative-variation-appeals-follow-for-nonconforming-lots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140706-6d9753519469d5773dcbd57a9c5ca1a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822356&Signature=YZO~t2yjUmauP889kUljdZygw6iuMfcKSlCFG8gwJ7mBG-HsabeV4Eg-LjtfCNVTkaOZ7mKUPI05LR-ueiC1JFgwrXaSQcpi4JQXDjfCnq8GjNbJG1vml6PnOgmNZDMkz5z-DQS7a2MYCtBG9-jwh~Qd2jL~5YzHB~gMeGq5zWmS6khCI9ayHoDUWNzlT4VwrKmXato9xS50a0GfGu22iVG8IHFasxRm7UsNKlnHbhY9rQc5CKOZITJjSodWqG57-Sm1gGoXi5bKQKhr7e~OMpUAmR5X6mhULOxBWNYMyb-XWmV7edgrqA~bYStbJoHQB2riMqSuZ5u~w1afIj~vgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lindsey, a planning staff member, reviewed proposed refinements to the city's middle-housing standards and told the commission the changes came after 18 months of application experience and stakeholder input. \"The intent of the code amendments are not to be a silver bullet for the city's housing crisis,\" Lindsey said, adding the changes are focused on clarity and consistency.
Key draft changes presented included narrower minimum lot widths in certain cases (for example, duplexes through fourplexes may be allowed on 40-foot lots with an alley and 45-foot lots without an alley, and a two-story duplex option reduced to a 35-foot lot width with an alley), a rewritten articulation requirement for long building elevations (requiring vertical breaks for 20% of any elevation longer than 50 feet), and the removal of a staff-level 20% administrative variation that had lacked clear criteria.
Staff said the proposed changes would increase the percentage of lots that could accommodate middle housing from roughly 87.05% to 91.61% where the standards are applicable, and reminded commissioners that only about 28% of city lots are in the targeted TDR land-use area and not all are vacant.
Later in the meeting planning staff introduced two appeals of administrative denials for proposed middle-housing projects on nonconforming lots. Staff said the denials rested chiefly on the intent and design standards of the middle-housing rules (Article 4.6 of the zoning code) which aim to produce neighborhood-scale forms compatible in footprint, height and setbacks with surrounding houses. Staff described the two appealed projects as falling into a gray area between \"townhouse\" and \"multiplex\" types and said that, in their view, the designs produced dwelling forms that do not meet the townhouse orientation and livability expectations: staff said such perpendicular or \"slot\" forms can loom over neighbors, create poor outdoor space and orient windows toward adjacent houses rather than the street.
Staff reiterated that the amendments are intended to clarify the rules and avoid ad hoc administrative variations. Commissioners discussed neighborhood outreach and site visits; one commissioner said several members had visited properties and met residents who had questions about the standards. The commission scheduled further consideration of remaining amendments at the next meeting and acknowledged that several applicants have appealed staff administrative denials to the appointed board for determination.
The planning office did not take a formal vote on the amendments at the agenda-review meeting; staff said they removed the administrative variation and adjusted lot-width thresholds as described and recommended continuing the items for final consideration.","Planning staff presented text amendments to middle-housing standards (lot-width clarifications, revised building articulation rules, and removal of a 20% administrative variation); staff also summarized denials and appeals of two middle-housing applications that staff said did not meet the intent of the standards.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6140711,"County planning staff: 2024 saw a sharp rise in residential permits, $1.8 billion in new-construction investment",567,87000,654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76&start=87&end=654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5577585-42813eb6c616773432f54d5d5e833a76/thumbnail_87000.jpg","/articles/6140711/Tennessee/County-planning-staff-2024-saw-a-sharp-rise-in-residential-permits-18-billion-in-new-construction-investment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140711-8fc15c797f8ef9465b341ebd07cc86e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822356&Signature=MjU~a35l6vSqxVfN-bP5M55KyybEbHdC5sulVHlU7aUOKFYRmayVGsOC~aN4KPDaS2kE-SZuwR1TrMMHO-Z4HseRiVuOAcrBfHeCI814mcPNLNbHprzcBf3QbYufEQPocIZZP305qqe6okm7ujW4KFyITTT1MlTLEw~5FhVmfPR5hWQIkc2NESDu39X1ECPRMzP-Z1ym7v1yrMJnBW~5mX~eG0bhOaTI62J2q9MV9vWtLUuAu12t3gal4NacdGuQz~Y8kdtMt4aeRTtdifTOnmMPxe6L9N8XvtyR1wxs76m9zjkWrPsYr11Lj~-Yll2ghtgJB-4asQtSuA0lZdAhvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff presented an annual development activity report to the Knoxville/Knox County Planning Commission, saying the county recorded a sharp uptick in residential permits in 2024 and about $1.8 billion in new-construction investment.
Aubrey, a planning staff presenter, told the commission that \"we produce an update of this report every spring and we've been doing so since the eighties\" and that the report summarizes building permits, rezonings and subdivisions across Knox County for the 2024 calendar year.
The presentation said residential permitting rose 53.9% compared with 2020 figures, while nonresidential permitting fell slightly, by about 1.4%. Much of the residential increase was concentrated in the Central City sector, where two large student-housing projects alone added most of the units: Aubrey said the Hub Knoxville development reported \"502 housing units just in 2024 alone\" and another project, the Mark, added \"291\" units.
Staff noted that those student-housing additions contributed to a reversal from 2023, when development outside city limits dominated; in 2024 most permitted units were inside city limits. The report highlighted east-west corridors such as Emery Road and Hardin Valley Road as corridors with concentrated residential permitting and showed a cluster of activity near the University of Tennessee campus.
The report places total inflation-adjusted new-construction value for the year at about $1.8 billion, an increase staff described as a \"breakaway\" from prior years; the presentation said investment rose by roughly $335 million year-over-year. Aubrey told the commission those building-permit values come from the information \"reported in the building permit itself.\" The staff also said renovation permit dollars remained elevated relative to most prior years.
Commissioners asked whether university dormitories appear in the permitting data; staff replied that University of Tennessee campus building permits are not included because \"they don't submit building permits,\" and the presentation therefore does not capture campus-permitted construction.
The commission and staff discussed how the data are used by researchers and other agencies. Aubrey said the planning office regularly provides permit data to the Boyd Center at UT for growth projections. Commissioners asked whether future reports could overlay unit-per-year trends with population projections to estimate annual housing need; staff said they have discussed the idea and that other cities have performed similar analyses.
The presentation and subsequent remarks emphasized that the annual report is descriptive: \"the purposes of this is just to report out what has been happening over the past year,\" Aubrey said. Commissioners and members of the public added context during the meeting, noting student housing's outsized role in Central City and reiterating that student housing often functions as short-term student occupancy rather than long-term family housing.
The planning office said it will share more details about the comprehensive-plan–related jurisdictional breakdowns at a future meeting and continue to provide the annual update each spring.","Planning staff presented the county'wide annual development activity report, saying residential permitting rose sharply in 2024, driven largely by large student-housing projects inside the city; nonresidential permitting was near 2023 levels.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Staff recommends denial of drive-through bank at North Shore Town Center, saying design fails town-center intent

Staff backs adaptive reuse of Galbraith School for 44 housing units with conditions to ensure accessibility and preservation

City law department proposes zoning edits to align vested-rights deadlines with new state law

Staff refines middle-housing code: narrower lot-widths, removed 20% administrative variation; appeals follow for nonconforming lots

County planning staff: 2024 saw a sharp rise in residential permits, $1.8 billion in new-construction investment