Public officer orders 60-day repairs for unpermitted deck at 2822 Greenway Drive

Nicholas Bradshaw, the public officer designated by the mayor under the City of Knoxville Code of Ordinances (Article 6, Unfit Buildings), ordered the owner of 2822 Greenway Drive to repair the property within 60 days after finding it out of compliance with city codes.

Scott Elder, Neighborhood Codes Enforcement manager for the City of Knoxville, told the hearing the property was first inspected Sept. 8, 2023, after a new covered deck was built without permits. Elder said the house was sold in July 2024 and the new owner has submitted a permit application that remains in review; staff said final inspections have not been completed and that city attempts to contact the owner ceased in August.

"I find the structure at 2822 Greenway Drive is out of compliance with the codes of the City of Knoxville, an attractive nuisance, and is dangerous and injurious to the health and safety of the occupants of our public," Bradshaw said, and ordered the owner to repair the structure within 60 days. He warned that if corrective action is not taken the structure may be placarded as unfit for human habitation and vacated.

The public officer also read into the record the city's demolition notice, stressing that beginning rehabilitation or obtaining permits does not prevent the city from taking corrective action, including demolition, unless all final inspections are approved or an extension is granted.

The record shows no owner appearance or testimony was presented at the hearing and no motions or votes by other officials were recorded; the order was issued by the public officer as part of his enforcement authority under the city code.

Minutes and staff materials note that an active permit application is "in review" but that required steps to reach final inspection remain incomplete; the transcript indicates staff last received a response from the owner in August.