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County proposes parking maximums, shared-parking and new loading standards
Summary
Staff proposed parking maximums (in addition to minimums), shared-parking allowances, incentive menus for reduced parking and new off‑street loading standards (capped loading at five spaces in many cases). Bike parking and front-yard parking restrictions for residential lots were also introduced.
Knox County planning staff proposed changes to parking and loading rules that would add parking maximums alongside existing minimums, create shared-parking allowances, and provide incentives for developers to reduce on-site parking.
A presenter said the change is meant to curb overbuilding of parking, reduce stormwater impacts and lower development costs. The draft adds parking-maximum tables that correspond to consolidated use/activity categories and includes a menu of incentives — such as EV charging stations, additional landscaping or dedicated passenger pick-up and drop‑off areas — that a developer could select to request more parking than the cap allows.
Staff also introduced off‑street loading requirements for commercial and larger residential developments, capping loading spaces at five for applicable sites, and added bicycle‑parking requirements and design standards targeted to districts and uses where bike access is expected.
The presenter emphasized restrictions on front‑yard parking for single‑family residential lots, saying front‑yard parking would generally be limited to driveways; participants asked whether temporary activities (yard sales) would be enforced and were told enforcement would be complaint-driven and that staff will provide more details in the draft documentation.
No vote was taken; staff said the parking rules will be published with the other Module C articles for public review.
