September 11, 2025
Planning Commission meeting
Planning Commission meeting
Public Comments
30 Comments for 5-B-21-SC and
Applicant Correspondence
May 2, 2021
Per phone conversation with a planning commission representative on 4/30/21. I requested that a public pedestrian easement be added to the proposed street / right of way closure application.
Being the applicant for this proposal I thought this would eliminate confusion with access to the Greenway from neighboring residents. Basically described as a Beach Access between condos.
Applicant
Applicant Correspondence
May 2, 2021 at 11:05 PM
Per phone conversation with a planning commission representative on 4/30/21. I requested that a public pedestrian easement be added to the proposed street / right of way closure application. May 2, 2021 at 11:05 PM
Being the applicant for this proposal I thought this would eliminate confusion with access to the Greenway from neighboring residents. Basically described as a Beach Access between condos.
applicant
Charles
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Charles (37909), May 3, 2021 at 10:20 AM
Glenmore drive being a publicly accessible street allows my family and I to access the park without having to walk all the way down to the park entrance, along our street, which is a double-yellow line road with no sidewalks. We moved here 5 years ago specifically for the near park access without having to go through neighbor's yards, most of whom have constructed fences backing up to the park. Removing public care and maintenance of this road will also undoubtedly result in its falling into disrepair given the nature of how it's already being used as boat and vehicle storage, about where there have already been multiple issues.
I sincerely hope this does not go through, and it would be both an inconvenience and a potential blight on the entire neighborhood.
Megan
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Megan (37909), May 3, 2021 at 8:53 PM
We moved to 8009 Bennington Drive four years ago; we love the West Hills neighborhood and we love being within walking distance of West Hills park. We have two small children and because Bennington Drive has alot of traffic, Glenmore Drive is our closest access to the park. We walk on this street several times a week to get to the playgrounds. I respectfully request that Glenmore Drive remain a public road. Thank you for your consideration.Joe
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Joe (37909), May 5, 2021 at 2:12 PM
Please see attached.View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210505141212.pdf
Anita
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Anita (37909), May 6, 2021 at 9:41 AM
Opposing ViewpointView Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210506094121.pdf
Mark
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Mark (37909), May 6, 2021 at 6:14 PM
As 20+ year residents of Bennington Dr, we strongly oppose the closure of the Glenmore Dr ROW. This ROW provides public access to the neighborhood's main park, and this public access is especially important in terms of safety considering there are no sidewalks on this section of Bennington Dr. It appears this closure is being sought as a remedy to address a fence and pool which were installed against city code. The closure of this public area and its conveyance to a private property owner at no cost is not a proper remedy to address the applicant's issues. Kelli
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Kelli (37909), May 10, 2021 at 1:59 AM
The upkeep of this road is paid for with taxpayer money and exists for community use. Privatization would be detrimental for the neighborhood. Kacie
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Kacie (37909), May 10, 2021 at 2:02 AM
This road is meant to be for public use of the community. The neighborhood pays for it so it should remain public. Leonore
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Leonore (37909), May 10, 2021 at 10:02 AM
why would a street be closed so one person living on this street can build/complete a pool. what about the right of the other neighbors living on this street. just think of this and let justice be heardKalyn
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Kalyn (37914), May 10, 2021 at 11:52 AM
Has anyone who has commented on this gone to talk to the family that is trying to get this passed? Or is everyone listening to a third party that has pitted the entire street against a family they have never spoken with?Tim May 10, 2021 at 5:15 PM
I live at 8008 Bennington Dr. and fully support the right of way closure referenced above. We see cars accessing the park and driving along the pipeline via this entrance. They will then drive and park by the pavilions for their parties. This is not only dangerous to my kids in the park, but to everyone who uses the park. We're in the park frequently walking our dog, running and riding bikes as a family. Closing this access point to the general public will funnel traffic and parking to either side of the park by West Hills Elementary school and the YMCA. Most of this happens on the weekends and nights. We also see a lot of people drive through the West Hills neighborhood as it's a major cut through route from Middlebrook to Kingston Pike. We've had two rocking chairs stolen from our front porch. I'm for anything that will limit access to the park to only the two specific points with designated parking lots on either end of the greenway/park.
Cars park illegally on this side street all the time. I can see why it would be very frustrating to live in either of the houses on the side of this street with parked cars and people that are not West Hills residents accessing the park via their cars.
West Hills park is wonderful and we have wonderful neighbors, but it needs to be accessed correctly from either end of the park and without motorized vehicles.
Melody
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Melody (37909), May 10, 2021 at 6:17 PM
Opposed to the rezone of Glenmore DriveView Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210510181728.pdf
Richard
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Richard (37909), May 11, 2021 at 6:09 AM
See AttachedView Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210511060951.pdf
Christa
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Christa (37909), May 11, 2021 at 10:36 AM
The Clark family's request for the street closure has less to do with their fence/pool and is actually more about addressing illegal parking and safety concerns related to the dead end street. I have been a guest in their home many times and deemed an honorary family member. I understand the concerns, issues and hardships the street has created for them and I would love to see it closed as well. As a resident of the West Hills community, I feel closing Glenmore Dr. would enhance the safety of the neighbors around the street while continuing to provide families with access to the park and greenway.Christa
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Christa (37909), May 11, 2021 at 11:35 AM
The Clark family's request for the street closure has less to do with their fence/pool and is actually more about addressing illegal parking and safety concerns related to the dead end street. I have been a guest in their home many times and deemed an honorary family member. I understand the concerns, issues and hardships the street has created for them and I would love to see it closed as well. As a resident of the West Hills community, I feel closing Glenmore Dr. would enhance the safety of the neighbors around the street while continuing to provide families with access to the park and greenway.Christa
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Christa (37909), May 11, 2021 at 11:40 AM
[ ] The Clark family's request for the street closure is about addressing illegal parking and safety concerns related to the dead end street. I understand the concerns, issues and hardships the street has created for them and I would love to see it closed as well. As a resident of the West Hills community, I feel closing Glenmore Dr. would enhance the safety of the neighbors around the street while continuing to provide families with access to the park and greenway.Christa
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Christa (37909), May 11, 2021 at 11:44 AM
The request for the street closure is about addressing illegal parking and safety concerns related to the dead end street. I understand the concerns, issues and hardships the street has created and I would love to see it closed. As a resident of the West Hills community for 15 years, I feel closing it would enhance safty while continuing to provide families with access to the greenway.Caitlin
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Caitlin (37909), May 11, 2021 at 10:06 PM
I am opposed to closing Glenmore Drive. Public access to the park is central to our enjoyment of our neighborhood and I do not believe closing this street is in the best interest of West Hills. Robert
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Robert (37909), May 11, 2021 at 10:11 PM
I would like to see this road remain open for public/community use and not privatized on the backs of the good tax paying citizens who enjoy its use in an unfettered manner.Kenneth May 12, 2021 at 8:40 AM
Attached are my comments in favor of the ROW Closure 5-B-21-SC.View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210512084020.pdf
Tim
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Tim (37909), May 12, 2021 at 4:04 PM
We're for the closure of the road to vehicle traffic. This side street should only be for foot traffic (outside of the two homeowner driveways) and not used for a public access by people driving vehicles. People use this as an access point to drive vehicles into the park and down the pipeline right of way and to the pavilions in the park. West Hills park is very busy with families and it's simply a safety issue with everyone using the park running, walking and enjoying the grassy areas. Vehicles need to be blocked from going into the park from this access point and every access point from the fields to the parking lots. I'm on board with a compromise approach to limit this road to foot traffic only. Michael
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Michael (37909), May 12, 2021 at 9:31 PM
I am opposed making this public road into a private drive. Keeping public access to the park is in the public’s best interest. Rachael
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Rachael (37909), May 12, 2021 at 9:37 PM
As a Bennington Drive resident I feel it is in the best interest of the neighborhood to keep Glenmore drive open and am opposed to the rezoning of the street.Ken
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Ken (37909), May 12, 2021 at 10:09 PM
Please see attachment.View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210512220903.pdf
Esther
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Esther (37909), May 13, 2021 at 4:36 AM
The street should remain open to the public because it was created and maintained by tax payer funding. Residents of the other side of the street often cannot drive up their steep driveways safely in winter weather conditions and thus need to park on Glenmore. Street parking is not legal on Bennington Drive. Closing down streets would make this neighborhood less welcoming to present and future residents.FYI, many direct conversations have happened between all of the involved households about this issue, so none of it should be a surprise.
Aaron
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Aaron (37909), May 13, 2021 at 8:24 AM
I support the road closure at Glenmore Drive. My property borders Glenmore Drive at 8000 Bennington. My reasoning comes down to safety. Every day, cars speed down the road causing safety issues for both my family as well as the Clark family. They are led by GPS navigation as an end-point to the park. Public access points to the park already exist, therefore, if the street is unnamed, navigation will correct to the proper destination waypoints. As I understand it, the city has recommended a public easement along the street to allow for foot traffic. This is a good compromise and should satisfy any issues regarding park access.There is a street off Corteland Drive that leads to the West End Church of Christ. It is an unnamed street. Like ours, there are two homes along either side. What are the circumstances around that street? I’m sure there is a solution that would stop the vehicle traffic and make this road safer for my family, as well as those around me.
Richard
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Richard (37909), June 8, 2021 at 4:08 AM
To all residents that had concerns about safety and how would the police respond if Glenmore Dr. was made private property between the 7916 and 8000 Bennington Dr. residents. The answer is no response if kept public. It is one of the lowest priority calls that can be made. A parking issue in a NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONE. Latest incident is attached
View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210608040834.pdf
Joseph
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Joseph (37604), June 8, 2021 at 9:56 PM
Below is my attachment to rebut the opposition to closing the dead-end street of Glenmore Dr. I also urge you to reread Richard Clark's statement as it goes into more detail than my own. Most of the comments on this forum (in opposition) are both false and character attacks against my father, my family, and my household. I explain why this is so in simple, clear language to make it the least complicated it can be. View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210608215606.pdf
Richard
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Richard (37909), June 9, 2021 at 1:19 AM
Only having 5 minutes to make a statement at the meeting on 6/10/21 I had to submit this additional statement attached. The statement is in rebuttal to the planning staffs new multiple point comments: View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210609011940.pdf
Leland
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Leland (37909), June 9, 2021 at 10:13 AM
Please see attached PDF.View Attachment
https://agenda.knoxplanning.org/attachments/20210609101336.pdf