Knox County presents Module A for new zoning framework and cuts 400-plus code uses

Allison, the lead presenter, told county officials that Module A of the Unified Development Ordinance focuses on a new zoning district palette and a consolidated table of uses designed to implement the Knox County comprehensive plan. She said the work is organized into five modules, with Module A covering districts and the use table and later modules addressing dimensional standards, site design, environmental protections and administrative procedures.

The presentation explained the methodology behind the district palette: evaluate existing districts (names, purpose statements, allowed uses, and bulk and dimensional standards), align each new district with the comprehensive-plan place types, and produce a zoning equivalency map to translate existing zones into the new framework. "We've been hard at work since we last met in September," Allison said, and the team will provide a draft equivalency map for review before finalization.

Planners described a series of consolidations and renamings meant to simplify the code and improve predictability. Notable changes include: converting Rural Preservation into an Agricultural Preservation district that allows limited clustered…