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Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals approves multiple variances, formalizes 3‑minute public comment rule
Summary
At its March 2026 meeting the Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals approved several setback and lot-intensity variances, withdrew or deferred some items for further county review, and adopted a formal three‑minute limit for public comments on agenda items.
The Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals on March 2026 approved a series of variances and clarified its public-comment procedure.
Chair Paul Huff opened the meeting, swore in speakers and spelled out the hearing order for applicants, opposing parties and county staff. The board voted to formalize a public-comment rule that limits speakers to three minutes per agenda item.
On the agenda the board approved a front-yard setback waiver for the property at 4540 Allen Springs Lane. The case was listed on the agenda as Peter Bessuk, and the person who presented himself at the hearing identified his name as Peter Fzuk; the applicant said the lot’s irregular slope and drainage characteristics justified granting a 20-foot to 13-foot setback reduction. The board approved the request and required that the porch remain open and not be enclosed.
The board also approved a peripheral setback reduction from 50 feet to 40 feet for a proposed building at 330 North Cedar Bluff Road after counsel for the applicant, Ben Jenkins, explained the lot’s narrow configuration and legacy zoning created the hardship. Members noted city annexation and zoning boundary history in the area had contributed to the situation.
A request to extend an RB zoning boundary at 7307 Old Clinton Pike to the rear property line was approved after the applicant, Zane Fair, said the change would allow a residential structure compatible with an adjacent townhouse development.
Two adjacent corner-lot variances on Hickory Meadows Drive submitted for Ball Homes were approved with public-works staff support. Engineering/Public Works said the lot-to-lot connection was important for life-safety access; the board voted to reduce front-yard setbacks from 20 feet to 10 feet for both lots.
A lot-intensity waiver for 128 Barnes Lane that would adjust parcel lines so a rental house could be sold separately from an adjacent garage was approved after surveyor Steven Ward and nearby resident Randall Hickman explained the parcel configuration.
Several items were removed or deferred: item 4F (3236 George Light Road) was withdrawn after staff found a prior variance had already been issued and the applicant was to be refunded; item 4G was deferred to April; an appeal of a building permit (item 4D) was removed from the agenda after the applicant failed to appear, allowing the permittee to proceed. One applicant (John Tucker, item 4E) was advised to pursue rezoning through Knox Planning before returning to the board; the board removed the item and refunded the fee.
The meeting closed after the board handled a final, contested setback request at 11452 Couch Mill Road (item 5A). Applicant Eduardo Adame presented updated site plans and soil/perk testing showing steep slopes and pockets of rock; several neighbors urged the board to preserve the 35‑foot setback for safety, sight lines and neighborhood character. After extended discussion the board approved a reduction to 12 feet, citing the lot’s topography and cost concerns raised by the applicant.
The board adjourned following disposition of the remaining items. Several board members stressed that rezoning and subdivision proposals must still go through Knox Planning (and, if required, Knox County Commission) and that public notice requirements apply for future reviews.
(For a list of motions and formal outcomes recorded at the meeting, see the Actions list below.)
