KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville City Council discussed a Growth Policy Plan Tuesday evening that would primarily guide how land is developed in Knox County areas. It calls for rural areas to be turned into residential zones in some specific areas, giving developers the chance to build primarily single-family homes.
In some small areas surrounding Knoxville, business corridors will also have the chance to develop more. The plan does not adjust much of how the space inside the city limits can be used. However, because it includes land bordering Knoxville, the plan must be approved by city leaders before it can be used.
On Tuesday, it was unanimously passed. The Knox County Commission previously passed the plan. It now needs to be approved by the Town of Farragut before it can go into effect.
The Mayor of Farragut said he did not have any comment on how he plans to vote on the plan.
The land use plan is the result of months of work by Advance Knox, which worked to collect community input and gauge the attitudes of community members about what they valued most in Knox County.
Advance Knox collected responses through surveys, speaking with stakeholders and holding public meetings about different proposals. The plan generally calls for more development in areas where there is already existing infrastructure, or where infrastructure can be easily installed.
The Growth Policy Plan cannot go into effect until at least May 1.