7-A-24-HPA Jessica (37920), July 9, 2024 at 11:25 AM
The Hillside Protection Ordinance was put in place with a great deal of public comment and compromise. As the developable land inside the city limits dwindles, more and more of these hillside variances will be requested in places such as South Knoxville, where I've lived for the past 20 years. We are facing a great deal of development pressure, as is the entire city, and much of the heavily sloped land relies on the Ordinance for protection from canopy loss and stormwater problems. Precedent is important, and we have to be very vigilant to protect the integrity of the Hillside Protection Ordinance so development does not degrade the environment and burden other property owners and residents. Mature trees are part of our infrastructure and should be valued as such. I respectfully ask that you deny this variance request as the owner is not suffering a hardship.
