Knox County planning commission approves multiple higher‑density rezonings and subdivision plans amid neighborhood pushback

The Knoxville/Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission on July 9 approved a series of rezoning and subdivision requests that will allow higher‑density housing in multiple parts of the county, while residents and neighborhood groups urged caution over traffic, environment and community character.

The most contentious item, a rezoning request for Thunder Mountain Properties on Chapman Highway, resulted in a divided commission that ultimately approved PR (planned residential) zoning at up to 3 dwelling units per acre. Taylor Forrester, the applicant’s representative, told the commission the request was consistent with the county’s growth policy and said the property’s plan‑use designations support the rezoning. “We submitted a request to rezone the property to plan residential, at a density of up to 3 dwelling units per acre,” Forrester said during his presentation.

Neighbors opposing the request said clustering on the buildable portion of the site would concentrate impacts and harm steep wooded areas. Dawn Close, speaking for the Dry Hollow community, said the neighborhood was not “a no to development. We are no to overdevelopment or things that are kind of unwise,” and asked…