Southwest County Sector Plan Updates Underway

The Southwest County Sector Plan was last updated in 2005 and is now undergoing an update.

The MPC has twelve planning areas, or sectors, within Knox County. Staff members prepare plans for each sector to guide the growth of the area through land use, transportation, and community facility recommendations.

This area has been one of the fastest growing in Knox County for several decades, with more than 30,000 new residents in the area since the last update. With all this growth, future needs for land use, transportation, and community facilities are being carefully considered. The feedback received from previous meetings, presentations, and an online survey have helped form the current draft.

So far in the process, community members have asked for more sidewalks and greenways, more neighborhood parks, better zoning and development standards, and no additional commercial development in low-density neighborhoods. MPC staff encourages community members to stay engaged throughout the process to make sure their vision for the Southwest County Sector is realized.

Current draft recommendations include:

• Mixed use development along Kingston Pike, Parkside Drive, and S. Peters Road to accommodate the projected future growth that is likely to occur
• Development of a Planned Office Zone
• Inclusion of a landscape ordinance
• Improved off-street parking standards
• Tools to allow for clustered residential subdivisions
• Extension of Ten Mile Creek Greenway
• Making Dunn Park into a neighborhood park
• Improving sidewalks around schools
• Widening both Canton Hollow Road and Concord Road

Additional input will be received at the next round of public meetings. The first will be held on Monday, August 1, in the cafeteria of Northshore Elementary School, 1889 Thunderhead Rd., at 6:30 p.m. The second will be held on Thursday, August 4, at West Emory Presbyterian Church, 1025 Emory Church Rd., at 6:30 p.m. After a short presentation, staff will be available at stations to answer questions and gather input. There will also be an open house event on August 23 to present final recommendations.

The current draft of the Southwest County Sector Plan, additional documents, maps and an online survey are available here.