City Council Approves First Zoning Under the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan

At its Tuesday, June 12th meeting, Knoxville City Council utilized recommendations of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan in approving the rezoning of more than 110 acres on Washington Pike in northeast Knoxville. Property owned by Babelay Farm, LLC, was recently annexed into the City of Knoxville and rezoned from the General Residential zoning it had while outside the city to a Planned Residential zone district in the city. The property is the site of the Legends at Oak Grove, a 264-unit apartment complex. The zoning approved by City Council allows up to 510 additional dwelling units on the remaining 93 acres of undeveloped land on the property.

The approval of a Planned Residential zone district for this property is consistent with the recommendations of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan, allowing the clustering of dwelling units on to the flatter portions of the site to protect the ridgetop and steeper, more forested slopes. The rezoning requires approval by the Metropolitan Planning Commission of a development plan for any future building.

More than 30 acres of the undeveloped property are located within the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Area and contiguous to Knox County's New Harvest Park. Based on recommendations of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan, two conditions were attached to the rezoning: at the time of development plan approval, this protection area must remain undisturbed, and, the property owners must make the protected area accessible to the public for future uses such as trails or greenway extensions.

For more information about this case or the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan, please contact Mike Carberry or Mark Donaldson at 865-215-2500.

Posted 6-27-2012, written by Mark Donalson