Cases in the City of Knoxville
| Case Type | Action | City Council Action | Appellate Body |
| Rezoning (Approval) | Recommendation | Decision | |
| Rezoning (Denial) | Decision | Knoxville City Council | |
| Use on Review | Decision | Knoxville City Council | |
| Street/Alley Closure | Recommendation | Decision | |
| Concept Plan | Decision | Chancery Court | |
| Final Plat | Decision | Chancery Court | |
| Zoning Ordinance Amendment | Recommendation | Decision |
Cases in Knox County
| Case Type | Action Final | County Commission Action Required | Appellate Body |
| Rezoning (Approval) | Recommendation | Decision | |
| Rezoning (Denial) | Decision | Knox County Commission | |
| Use on Review | Decision | Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals | |
| Concept Plan | Decision | Chancery Court | |
| Final Plat | Decision | Chancery Court | |
| Zoning Ordinance Amendment | Recommendation | Decision |
Anyone may appeal decisions made by the Planning Commission to the appropriate appellate body. This can be a complicated process, and Planning staff should be consulted for advice.
If you have a question about the appeals process, or if you wish to be notified about anyone filing an appeal on a particular item, see a staff member at meeting (seated at either end of the horseshoe-shaped table) or call the Planning office at (865) 215-2500.
When must appeals be filed?
Appeals made to the City Council must be filed no later than 15 days from the date of the action taken by the Planning Commission; appeals made to the County Commission or the County Board of Zoning Appeals must be filed no later than 30 days. Information about the appeals deadlines is published in the Additions, Changes, and Corrections to the Agenda Package on the Planning website.
Where do I file the appeal?
Applications for most types of appeals are available at the Planning Office, Suite 403 City County Building or can be downloaded online. Applications for use-on-review appeals in the county are available from the Knox County Codes Administration office, Suite 547 City County Building. There is a filing fee.
When will the appeal be heard?
You will be notified when your appeal will be heard by the City Council or County Commission, usually about two months after the application is filed. The Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals will determine your hearing date at the time of filing. Before an appeal is heard, Planning runs a public notice in the Knoxville News-Sentinel and prepares an information packet on the property for the legislative body hearing the appeal. Property owners are notified by certified mail, and a sign stating the nature of the appeal and the time and place of the scheduled public hearing is posted on the property.
Can an application for appealing a particular decision be filed more than once?
If an application is denied by a vote of the Knoxville City Council, Knox County Commission, or Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals, a property owner must wait one year from the time of denial to refile the same request. Use-on-review appeals may be refiled by non-property owners as well as property owners under the same above conditions.
If an application for appealing a particular decision is withdrawn before being heard, it may not be refiled for one year from the time of the first filing.
