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Residents urge Knoxville council to halt sale of East Knoxville parkland, demand protections
Summary
Dozens of residents and environmental advocates urged the Knoxville City Council to withdraw a plan to sell about 12 acres of Chill/Chihawi/Jahawi Park to a private group, citing tree canopy loss, displacement concerns and the need for enforceable deed restrictions or conservation easements.
Dozens of East Knoxville residents told the City Council on Tuesday night they oppose a proposed sale or transfer of roughly 12 acres of parkland in Chill/Chihawi/Jahawi Park to a private group and urged the council to preserve the property for public use.
Speakers from neighborhood groups, the Sierra Club and longtime residents described the park as an environmental and cultural resource that should remain public. "Selling that land is a Pandora's box that will unleash the wave of change," said Vivian Scheib, addressing council members and warning of long-term displacement if the property is privatized.
The opposition…
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