posts
Lakemoor Hills Art Club
Happy New Year!
Weekly meetings resume this evening (Monday, January 4, 2016) 5-7pm at Lake Hills Church near the corner of Montlake and Maloney.
All are welcome. We are artists of all media and levels, from beginners to advanced. Just come when you can, as often as you can, and bring what you’re working on. Informal, open discussion and good fellowship.
Any questions? Call or text Kenneth Pace at 865-919-4357.
Dumping Increasing at Entry to Lakemoor Hills
Entering the subdivision yesterday I noticed that there was a large amount of debris adjacent to the parking area just west of the triangle at Alcoa Hwy. The more I thought about it the madder I got so today I went by to see if the bags of trash included identification that could tie it back to the owner. I took these photos when I realized the extent of the debris – bags of trash, a blue plastic tub and many, many quart beer bottles. When I peered into the blue tub, there was an animal leg (with hoof), and the bag closest to the tub seems to be filled with more decaying animal parts – perhaps deer (?). I cannot believe that anyone who actually lives within our neighborhood would do this and I ask all of you to be vigilant to speak out to anyone that you see contributing to this disgrace. Does anyone know if the city or county will help remove these animal parts as it certainly may be a health issue?
Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory
Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 44 – Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015
PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodAdvisory2015-12-29
- Good Neighbor Nominations Are Due Monday
- Andie Ray: Neighborhood Leader, City Light
- Zaevion Dobson: Greater Love Hath No Man
- City Offices Closed Friday; Garbage and Recyclables Will be Collected
- Two Blocks of Cumberland Avenue Closed for Electric Work
- Citizens Invited to Annual Legislative Breakfast
- Grants Enable Botanical Garden to Proceed with Food Center
- Need Funding? Art Exposure? Alliance Seeks Ideas for Micro-Funding Event
- Neighborhood and Government Calendar
Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods to report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. News & calendar deadline: 9 a.m. Tuesdays.
- Good Neighbor Nominations Are Due Monday
Nominations for the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award are due no later than Monday, January 4.
The award is presented annually to a City of Knoxville resident who — in a spirit of cooperation and with commitment to inclusive community — has devoted time and talent in service to his or her neighbors and neighborhood.
The winner and other finalists will be announced at the 2016 Neighborhood Awards and Networking Luncheon on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Knoxville Convention Center.
To learn more, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods and click on Good Neighbor of the Year Award. Or just download the form. The form is easy to fill out. Just use your own words to describe the person you wish to honor.
Nominations can be sent to Debbie Sharp by email to [email protected] or by mail to Office of Neighborhoods – Room 528, City of Knoxville, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901. Or call Debbie at 215-4382 to receive a hard copy of the form in the mail.
- Andie Ray: Neighborhood Leader, City Light
Good neighbors give their time and talent to community improvement, and this week Knoxville is remembering the many contributions of Andie Ray, who died Dec. 18 after a brief illness.
As others have noted, Andie was active in every neighborhood she lived in — from Maplehurst and Market Square to Old North Knoxville. As Jack Neely points out in last week’s Knoxville Mercury, she first lived on Market Square and then opened her women’s clothing store, Vagabodia, on the square in 2004. A tireless advocate for downtown renovation, she was active in Knox Heritage, City People, and the Market Square District Association.
Later she and her husband Noel Hudson moved to Old North. At the time of her passing she was president of the neighborhood association, Old North Knoxville. She was an ONK representative to the Broadway Corridor Task Force and a member of the Historic Zoning Commission.
“Andie really liked to connect with her community and her neighbors,” recalled Lauren Rider, her friend and colleague in Old North. “She adopted the neighborhoods she was in. There is barely a neighbor who walked past her house who did not know who she was. She made a point of talking to everybody, including everybody, and sharing her enthusiasm for the community.”
She will be missed.
- Zaevion Dobson: Greater Love Hath No Man
Our city this month is also mourning the death and celebrating the life and selfless sacrifice of Zaevion Dobson, the 15-year-old Fulton High School student who was shot and killed Dec. 17 shielding others from a spray of bullets fired by as-yet-unnamed assailants onto a porch in the Lonsdale community.
Zaevion was a member of Martin Chapel United Methodist Church and a sophomore at Fulton High School, where he played linebacker on the football team. He was well regarded by teammates and classmates, many of whom who wore his jersey number, 24, at his funeral services last weekend.
But Zaevion was much more than a young man enthralled with football, according to André Canty who, as a member of 100 Black Men of Knoxville, mentored the young student. “Being an athlete was only a part of his being,” Canty said. “He was always there. He was involved (in efforts) to stop the violence.”
Zaevion was part of what Canty calls the “Save Our Sons Brain Trust,” a group of young people who helped plan and identify the discussion topics for the “Son’s Summit” last June which in turn was part of a local “Save Our Sons” initiative to address violence among African American men and boys.
Moreover, having benefitted from the mentoring provided by Canty and 100 Black Men, Zaevion was himself helping youth at Emerald Youth Foundation programs in which he participated. “He did not wait until he was an adult,” Canty said. “He said, ‘I’m not going to wait. I’ve learned some lessons I can tell other kids.’ That’s powerful. That’s commendable. He took time out to mentor other kids.”
He was doing all of that while he was attending football practice,” Canty noted. “He was already involved in the community. He was around others who tried to show him the way. He learned lessons from his Mom, us, his coaches. He built up a sense of selflessness in himself.”
What Zaevion did on the night of December 17 “wasn’t just a quick reaction but a manifestation of all the lessons he had learned. If you see someone in need, you be there for that person. He went the extra mile and sacrificed his life.”
Canty, who is now president of 100 Black Men, notes that 23-year-old Brandon Perry also lost his life on Dec. 17, and his funeral was held on the same day as Zaevion’s service.
Because it is believed that Perry was involved in the retaliatory gang violence that took Zaevion’s life, “people may have demonized him,” Canty said. “Even if he did it, there is a culture of violence that made him the way he was. In a sense, that makes him a victim, too. I am not apologizing for what he did, but there is a family grieving on his side, too.”
Canty said the community’s effort to stop violence focuses, in part, on youth who have already lost their way, who have reacted negatively to pain and trauma, who have been bred for war as if they live in a third world country. “No child should be bred for war,” he lamented.
Canty and many others in the African American community in Knoxville have lost loved ones or friends or acquaintances to this violence. But Zaevion “did everything right and he was still taken away,” sharpening the grief, Canty said.
Zaevion’s courage and character have been praised all the way from Lonsdale to the White House. “Zaevion Dobson died saving three friends from getting shot,” President Obama tweeted two days after the shooting. “He was a hero at 15. What’s our excuse for not acting?”
See www.knoxvilletn.gov/saveoursons for more on the City’s Save Our Sons initiative.
Meanwhile, Overcoming Believers Church, 211 Harriet Tubman Street, will host a community meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, “to develop strategies for saving our youth.”
- City Offices Closed Friday; Garbage and Recyclables Will be Collected
City of Knoxville offices will be closed Friday, Jan. 1, but the city’s garbage and recycling contractor, Waste Connections, will run its regular trash and recycling routes this week, so pickups of trash and recyclables WILL occur on Friday despite the holiday.
Downtown trash and recycling will also run on the regular schedule on Friday. The city’s recycling centers will be open for recycling use, but the Goodwill attendant will not be available for household goods donations on Friday. The city’s Solid Waste Management Facility, 1033 Elm Street, will be closed both Friday and Saturday.
- Two Blocks of Cumberland Avenue Closed for Electric Work
Two blocks of Cumberland Avenue between 17th and 19th streets will be closed to through traffic beginning Tuesday, Dec. 29, until Tuesday, Jan. 5, to allow for the installation of an underground electrical line.
Local traffic and pedestrian access to businesses along Cumberland Avenue will be maintained.
The electrical line will carry power from a Knoxville Utilities Board substation at Dale Avenue to the Cumberland Avenue area and beyond. It will allow the removal of overhead power lines along Cumberland Avenue, part of the City’s overall $17 million reconstruction of the corridor.
The Cumberland Avenue project, scheduled to be completed in August 2017, will change the existing four-lane street on the eastern end of the corridor to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections between 22nd Street and 17th Street.
Phase I work on the western end of Cumberland, between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22nd Street, is coming to an end — on time and on budget. Phase II is underway.
More information about the project is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com , from which you can access the Cumberland Connect Facebook page and the Cumberland Connect phone app.
- Citizens Invited to Annual Legislative Breakfast
The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County (LWVKKC) is inviting Knox County citizens to participate in its annual Legislative Breakfast from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Knox Room of the Knoxville News Sentinel building, 2332 News Sentinel Drive. A continental breakfast will be served.
State Senators Richard Briggs, Becky Massey and Randy McNally have been invited to participate in a question and answer session regarding legislation of the 109th Tennessee General Assembly, which convenes the following week.
Key legislation includes the reallocation of surplus revenues and the regulation of marijuana and handgun permits. Other likely topics are healthcare and the proposed outsourcing of management of state facilities.
The News Sentinel is co-sponsoring the event. The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
- Grants Enable Botanical Garden to Proceed with Food Center
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum (KBGA), 2743 Wimpole Avenue, has now received all of the funding necessary to proceed with the $370,000 conversion of an existing structure, known as the Mule Barn, to an indoor food market, community meeting space and education kitchen.
Construction likely will begin by early spring, according to Robert Hodge, who heads KBGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture. “This initiative will be a model for permaculture and sustainable living practices that will provide both economic and ecological benefits to our city and its residents,” Hodge said recently.
Mayor Madeline Rogero and City Council allocated $250,000 for this facility in the City of Knoxville’s FY 2015 budget. This investment leveraged two more recent donations — $50,000 from the Siddiqi Charitable Foundation and another $70,000 from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
The Center is already leasing plots of land for family and market gardens. Since food is grown on site, gardeners will be able to sell their produce locally at the new facility. Area farmers can also use the facility to sell their goods. Hodge noted that the 47-acre KGBA site is located in East Knoxville, where access to fresh, healthy and affordable foods is limited.
When not used for produce sales, the space can be leased by art and theatre groups, along with other cultural activities, for special events, Hodge added.
The kitchen “will be used by our gardeners and also will be rented out to entrepreneurs,” Hodge explained. “We are excited about the job creation that comes from having a rentable commercial kitchen available to people wanting to make money through food. This will be a jobs and business incubator.”
Finally, the kitchen will host culinary and canning classes. Hodge noted that the Center is already in discussion with community-based organizations that are working to improve access to and knowledge of healthy foods.
These groups include Nourish Knoxville, publisher of a local food guide and organizer of the Market Square Farmers’ Market; Slow Food Tennessee Valley, which stages the annual Pesto Festo; and the Knoxville Chapter of National Women in Agriculture, which addresses needs of women without access to healthy food.
Hodge projects that the space for the produce market will be open by late spring, and the kitchen will be ready by late summer. While there is a small waiting list for the 4×12 family garden plots, an even larger plot is available for someone who wishes to market the produce. For more, contact Hodge at [email protected] or 591-8677.
- Need Funding? Art Exposure? Alliance Seeks Ideas for Micro-Funding Event
The South Knoxville Alliance is now accepting proposals for community projects and featured artists for its next Knoxville SOUP dinner, which will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 7, at Vestal United Methodist Church, 115 Ogle Ave., with a suggested donation of $5 per person.
Proposal deadline has been extended to Sunday, January 3, 2016.
Knoxville SOUP is a dinner and micro-funding event designed to raise money for creative projects and to give exposure to local artists who display their art.
Project Proposals and Featured Artist Proposals are accepted from all over Knoxville, not just South Knoxville. Click here to apply for your project ideas. Click here to apply for the next featured artist slot.
“The exposure for the projects goes beyond the dinner,” said Debra Bradshaw, chair of the South Knoxville Alliance, which brought SOUP dinners to Knoxville. “One of the projects presented at our last dinner was funded in full by a private donation. The project funding need would not have been known if it had not been for the great press Knoxville SOUP received.” The last event dinner raised over $500 for the Joe Hill Roadshow.
Knoxville SOUP events are held quarterly. Proposal deadlines are always one week prior to the dinner. The next few proposal due dates are March 31, June 30, and October 29, all in 2016. See www.KnoxvilleSOUP.org for more information.
South Knoxville Alliance is a group of businesses and community leaders who promote growth and improvement in the South Knoxville area.
- 9. Neighborhood and Government Calendar
Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 215-4382.
Visit http://knoxvilletn.gov/calendar for a complete list of meetings of various city boards and commissions.
If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to attend a City of Knoxville public meeting, please contact Stephanie Brewer Cook at scook@knoxvilletn.gov or 215-2034 no less than 72 hours prior to the meeting you wish to attend. For an English interpreter, contact Joshalyn Hundley, Title VI Coordinator, at 865.215.3867 or at[email protected].
Wednesday, December 30 — 6 p.m.
Heal the Land Knoxville
“Community gathering to develop strategies for saving our youth”
Overcoming Believers Church, 211 Harriett Tubman Street
Monday, January 4 — 1 p.m.
East Knoxville Community Meeting (First Mondays)
Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway
Michael Covington, 274-7958, [email protected]
Monday, January 4 — 4 p.m.
Love Towers Fellowship Association (First Mondays except holidays)
Love Towers Community Room; 1171 Armstrong St.
Bill Jackson, 221-4402
Monday, January 4 — 5 p.m.
Knox Country Board of Education—Work Session
(Usually held on the Monday before the regular meeting and
third Mondays, except holidays or holiday weeks.)
First Floor Board Room, Andrew Johnson Building, 912 South Gay St.
For agenda, work sessions, and other items:
Visit http://knoxschools.org. Click on “Board of Education.”
Monday, January 4 — 6:30 p.m.
Parkridge Community Organization (First Mondays except holidays)
Cansler YMCA, 616 Jessamine St.
David Anderson, (803) 259-6289, [email protected]
Monday, January 4 — 7 p.m.
Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association (First Mondays)
Community Club House, 916 Shamrock Ave. at Henegar St.
Bill Hutton, 773-5228, [email protected]
Monday, January 4
Deadline for Nominations
Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award
Office of Neighborhoods, www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods
Debbie Sharp, 215-4382
Lakemoor Hills Art Club
The Lakemoor Hills Art Club will not meet today and next Monday.
Meetings will resume 5-7pm on Monday, January 4, 2016.
Best wishes for the holidays and New Year!
Any questions? Call Kenneth Pace at 865-919-4357 or email [email protected].
2015 Holiday Decorating Recognitions for Lakemoor Hills
Thanks to everyone in the neighborhood who participated creatively and enthusiastically in this year’s Holiday decorating extravaganza!! So many of you had wreaths on doors, greenery and bows on mailboxes and brilliant lights all around that it was a very difficult decision to make! But here are the three residences selected for recognition this year in no particular order:
Gene and Rosemary Burr 3621 Maloney Road
C.L. and Kim Overman 3516 Bluff Point Road
The Zachary Parham’s 2513 Tall Pine
Additionally, Bluff Point Road residents won the decorating challenge with the residents on Maloney’s Deadend!
The neighborhood is a magical place thanks to all of you!
Happy Holidays!
The LHHA Beautification Committee
Decorating for the Season from Beautification Committee
Friends and Neighbors,
The red bows with glistening pine cones have been hung on street signs so now it is time to help us make this a magical peninsula for the holidays! The residents on the “Maloney Road Deadend” have issued a friendly decorating challenge to the residents on Bluff Point Drive creating a fun and exciting atmosphere! A lot of pine needles, holly, bows and maybe even lights will fill the air!
The Beautification Selection Committee will be driving the roads between now and the 16th of December, enjoying and selecting three residences as especially festive. The results will be posted on this website on December 17. Signs will be placed in the yards after permission has been granted by the homeowner. Additionally, the winner of the “Street Challenge” will also be posted on this Website. So now it is time to really get moving!
Thank you for participating and making this a particularly fun and enjoyable time of the year!
Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory
Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 42 – Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015
PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodAdvisory2015-12-08
- Community Meeting Tomorrow to Address Youth Concerns
- Parkridge Votes to Request Expansion of Historic Overlay
- City Seeks Nominations for Neighborhood Achievement Awards
- Participants Sought for City’s 225th Anniversary Celebration
- BZA Decisions Can Impact Your Neighborhood
- KKB Revamps Orchid Categories, Seeks Nominations
- Neighborhood and Government Calendar
Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods to report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. News & calendar deadline: 5 p.m. Mondays.
- Community Meeting Tomorrow to Address Youth Concerns
Three Knoxville citizens are asking residents and friends of East Knoxville, Mechanicsville, Lonsdale, Beaumont and Western Heights to attend a “Saving Our Community” meetingtomorrow night, Wednesday, Dec. 9, to address concerns about young people in the community.
The meeting will run from 7-9 p.m. at Vine Middle Magnet School, 1807 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
The three organizers are Rev. Sanford Miller, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church; Maurice Clark, a coach of community youth sports teams; and Rick Staples, chair of the mentorship committee of One Hundred Black Men of Knoxville. Clark is also founder of One Nation by Conviction, a social justice organization that advocates against the disparity in drug sentencing laws.
Miller, Clark and Staples are seeking ideas and inspiration for working more effectively with young people who, despite efforts by community members, are still turning to violence and crime. Recent suicides and attempted suicides by young people have prompted this meeting, Staples said.
“This burdens my heart,” Staples said. “Where is the disconnect? We need to figure out what’s going on among young people and how to reach them. This is a concern for the community as a whole.”
- Parkridge Votes to Request Expansion of Historic Overlay
At its regular monthly meeting on Dec. 7, the Parkridge Community Organization (PCO) decided to move forward with the proposed expansion of the H1 overlay district in the neighborhood.
PCO members voted 17-7 to request, via letter, that Sixth District City Councilman and former Mayor Dan Brown “sponsor with the City Council the PCO’s effort to proceed with the public process for the H1 overlay extension in the Parkridge area.”
PCO is seeking the normal protocol for general rezonings. This starts with a resolution from City Council asking the Metropolitan Planning Commission to study and make recommendation on the proposed rezoning. A favorable recommendation from MPC would go back to City Council in the form of an ordinance requiring two readings and votes.
For historic overlay requests, the Historic Zoning Commission also is asked to review the proposal and make a recommendation to City Council.
As proposed by PCO, the new H1 area would be bounded by Glenwood Avenue from Winona Street to Olive Street, Washington Avenue to Chestnut Street, Jefferson Avenue to Cherry Street, and Woodbine Avenue to Cherry Street.
This would be the first major expansion of an H1 Overlay District since such districts were established in Old Mechanicsville (1991), Old North Knoxville (1992), Parkridge (Edgewood-Park City, 1997), Fourth & Gill (1999) and Market Square (2001).
See https://parkridgecommunity.wordpress.com/preservation/planning/ for more detail on the Parkridge proposal, which has been debated in earnest for over the past year.
To view the current H1 zone in Parkridge, visit http://www.kgis.org/kgismaps/map.htm , zoom in on Parkridge, and select “Maps” and “zoning” in the left hand navigation column.
3. City Seeks Nominations for Neighborhood Achievement Awards
The City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods is now accepting applications for Neighborhood Achievement Awards.
These awards will be presented at the Neighborhood Awards & Networking Luncheon to be held at the Knoxville Convention Center on Saturday, March 5, 2016.
Neighborhood groups are encouraged to apply, and it is also possible for an individual or another organization to nominate a neighborhood group. The deadline for submitting an application/nomination is Monday, January 11, 2016. Download the application/nomination form. Or call Debbie Sharp at 215-4382 to have a hard copy mailed to you.
Any resident-led, resident-controlled city neighborhood group recognized by the Office of Neighborhoods is eligible to apply or be nominated for this award. This includes neighborhood associations, homeowners associations, neighborhood watch groups and tenant/renter associations.
Whether your group is large or small, well established or brand new, your group is encouraged to apply. The awards will showcase accomplishments by neighborhood groups during calendar year 2014 and 2015. Example accomplishments include:
— Beautification and place-making projects, green spaces and community gardens, and other physical improvements to the neighborhood;
— Projects, events and activities that focus on connecting neighbors with one another, such as street fairs, potlucks, home tours, holiday celebrations, and neighbors helping neighbors;
— New or ongoing communication efforts such as newsletters, social media and phone tree networks; and
— Activities involved in launching, reviving, or strengthening a neighborhood group.
Working with the Office of Neighborhoods, an awards committee will select winners from the pool of applications and nominations. The number and category of awards will be determined by the awards committee based on the applications. The winners will be announced at the March 5, 2016 Neighborhood Awards & Networking Luncheon.
- Participants Sought for City’s 225th Anniversary Celebration
The City of Knoxville was founded on October 3, 1791, and preparations have begun for a 225thAnniversary Celebration next year.
Visit Knoxville, the convention and visitors bureau for Knoxville and Knox County, is seeking participants (including neighborhood organizations) to join the celebration.
Since the idea is to celebrate the city throughout its history, neighborhood organizations who wish to participate are limited only by their creativity in how they relate to the 225 theme. Ideas might range from a neighborhood history project (youth interviewing older residents) to the dedication of a time capsule to a special event to a service project.
Any neighborhood or neighborhood group can participate, not just “historic” neighborhoods. Interested groups have time to plan an activity that can become part of the celebration during the year and that can be added to a special 225 website at any point.
To explore ideas, contact Calvin Chappelle, heritage tourism coordinator for Visit Knoxville at[email protected] or 865-951-6614.
Among the elements now in the planning:
— There will be a 225 kick-off event on February 6, which is the 220th anniversary of the day that the Tennessee Constitution was signed.
— All local art and cultural organizations will be encouraged to highlight their activities under the 225th anniversary lens. The Arts and Culture Alliance and the East Tennessee Historical Society will also be major partners in programming.
— Jack Neely and the Knoxville History Project / Knoxville Mercury newspaper will create a “Top 25” most interesting and compelling historical facts about the city.
— Preexisting festivals such as Dogwood Arts will feature some aspect of 225.
— June 1 is Tennessee Statehood Day, and the Historic Homes of Knoxville and the East Tennessee Historical Society will be offering programming.
— The grand finale will occur on the weekend leading up to Oct. 3, 2016, which is the actual 225th anniversary date. The Historic Homes of Knoxville will have their annual Founders Day Luncheon on that day.
- BZA Decisions Can Impact Your Neighborhood
Ten properties are on the agenda for next week’s meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
Established by city ordinance, BZA hears appeals of denials of building permits by the city’s Building Inspections Department. The board, consisting of five citizens appointed by the Mayor, meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building.
BZA meets next Thursday, Dec. 17. Addresses on the agenda include 1421 Southgate Road in Sequoyah Hills, 6909 Quail Drive in Deane Hill, 2701 Spence Place (Island Home Airport), 226 N. Peters Road in West Knoxville, 5760 Grove Drive next to Fountain City Elementary School, 3447 Reagan Avenue in Marble City, 9956 Dutchtown Road in West Knoxville, 515 Wellsley Park Road and 7310-7350 Antoinette Way off Deane Hill Drive, 1995 Henley Street next to Henley Bridge south of the river, and 9546 S. Northshore Drive in West Knoxville.
Keep up with how the BZA might impact your neighborhood. Watch for the black and white signs indicating that there is a pending decision on a particular piece of property. Most signs are for Metropolitan Planning Commission issues — which are also important — but signs with the word “variance” are BZA items.
The BZA agenda is posted on the city website. Browse to www.knoxvilletn.gov/boards and click on Board of Zoning Appeals. The agenda is posted no later than the Monday prior to the BZA meeting each month.
A neighborhood group that keeps track of BZA will call the Plans Review & Inspections Department at 215-3669 to request and study the paperwork on a particular appeal, decide whether to take a position on the appeal, and then attend the BZA meeting to voice the group’s support or objections. A group can also request a postponement to allow time to meet with the applicant.
Decisions of the BZA can be appealed within 15 days of the BZA decision to Knoxville City Council. Appeals of a City Council decision are made to Chancery Court within 60 days of a City Council decision related to BZA.
- KKB Revamps Orchid Categories, Seeks Nominations
Keep Knoxville Beautiful (KKB) is now accepting nominations from the public for its beautification awards, the Orchids, that recognize exceptional work on buildings and outdoor spaces that beautify the local landscape in both the city and county.
Orchid Awards will be granted in the six categories: New Architecture, Redesign/Reuse, Restaurant/Cafe/Bar/Brewery, Environmental Stewardship, Outdoor Space, and Public Art.
“This year we revamped a few of the categories to reflect some of the changes happening in our dynamic city,” said Patience Melnik, KKB’s executive director. “We added the restaurant/brewery, environmental stewardship, and public art categories to celebrate these growing elements in our community.”
Anyone can nominate a location or outdoor public artwork by completing a simple online form on KKB’s website at www.keepknoxvillebeautiful.org, or by calling the office at 865-521-6957.
Each year, an independent panel of judges assesses the dozens of award nominations. Past panels have included architects, commercial builders, realtors, landscape architects, historic preservationists, community leaders, and owners of properties that have received Orchid Awards in the past.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful will announce the winners of the beautification awards at the annual Orchids Awards Dinner on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at The Standard, 416 W. Jackson Avenue. Tickets can be purchased on the KKB website.
Private residences are not considered for this award. Properties can win only once except in cases of major renovations. Nominations are due by Friday, January 8, 2015.
- Neighborhood and Government Calendar
Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 215-4382.
Visit http://knoxvilletn.gov/calendar for a complete list of meetings of various city boards and commissions.
If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to attend a City of Knoxville public meeting, please contact Stephanie Brewer Cook at scook@knoxvilletn.gov or 215-2034 no lessthan 72 hours prior to the meeting you wish to attend. For an English interpreter, contact Joshalyn Hundley, Title VI Coordinator, at 865.215.3867 or at [email protected].
Tuesday, December 8 — 4-5 p.m.
City of Knoxville Greenways Commission
(Second Tuesdays, even-numbered months)
Larry Cox Senior Center, 3109 Ocoee Trail
http://knoxvilletn.gov/government/boards_commissions/greenways_commission/
Lori Goerlich, Parks & Recreation Dept., 215-2807
Tuesday, December 8 — 6 p.m.
Brown Avenue Neighborhood Watch (Second Tuesdays)
Hoitt Ave. Baptist Church, 2121 Hoitt Ave.
Jimmy Ramsey, 637-0243
Tuesday, December 8 — 7 p.m.
City Council (Every Other Tuesday)
Main Assembly Room, City County Building
http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/citycouncil
Agenda: http://knoxvillecitytn.iqm2.com
Wednesday, December 9 — 10-11:30 a.m.
Food Policy Council
(Second Wednesdays but check website for confirmation)
Knox County Health Department, 140 Dameron Avenue
http://www.knoxfood.org; [email protected]
Wednesday, December 9 — 11:30 a.m.
Community Forum (Second Wednesdays)
Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road
Sue Mauer, 690-0269
Thursday, December 10 — 1:30 p.m.
Metropolitan Planning Commission (Second Thursdays)
Large Assembly Room, City County Building
Agenda: http://agenda.knoxmpc.org
Thursday, December 10 — 5:30 p.m.
Public Input Meeting
Review final design plans for Sevier Avenue Streetscapes Improvement Project
South Knoxville Elementary School, 801 Sevier Ave.
Dawn Michelle Foster, [email protected] , 215-2607
Thursday, December 10 — 6 p.m.
Lonsdale Homes Resident Association (Second Thursdays)
Community Building, 1956 Goins Dr.
Phyllis Patrick, 323-7224
Friday, December 11 — 7:45 a.m. and 8 a.m.
North Knoxville Business & Professional Association (Second Fridays)
Breakfast at 7:45 am, Meeting at 8 a.m.
Open to North Knoxville Residents, Neighborhood Groups, Business Owners
Meeting location varies. Check Website for location. http://northknoxvillebpa.org/
Becky Dodson, [email protected], 545-6750.
Friday, December 11 — 6 p.m.
Beaumont Community Organization (Second Fridays)
Community Room, Solid Waste Transfer Station, 1033 Elm St.
Natasha Murphy, 936-0139
Saturday, December 12 — 9 a.m. until last person is heard
“Coffee with the Councilman”
(Usually the Last Saturday of Each Quarter)
Vice Mayor and First District City Council Member Nick Pavlis
Bring your concerns or stop by to chat; open to all city residents.
Roundup Restaurant, 3643 Sevierville Pike
Nick Pavlis, 851-6671
Saturday, December 12 — 2-4 p.m.
Holiday Party
Burlington Residents Association
Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway
Kimberley Fowler, 524-7094, [email protected]
Saturday, December 12 — 4:30-8 p.m.
Holiday Open House
Music, artwork, door prizes, refreshments
Candoro Arts and Heritage Center, 4450 Candora Dr.
Sharon Davis, 640-5700
Sunday, December 13 — 2 p.m.
Historic Sutherland Heights Neighborhood Association
(Second Sundays, even-numbered months)
Marble City Baptist Church, 2740 Sutherland Avenue
John Yates, 588-8883, [email protected]
Monday, December 14 — 11:30 a.m.
Central Business Improvement District (CBID) Board Meeting
Knoxville Chamber, 17 Market Square
http://www.downtownknoxville.org/
Michele Hummel, 246-2654, [email protected]
Monday, December 14 — 1:30 p.m.
Montgomery Village Residents Association (Second Mondays)
4600 Joe Lewis Rd. #175
Ronnie Thompson, 583-9221
Monday, December 14 — 3 p.m.
Northgate Resident Association (Second Mondays)
Social Hall, 4301 Whittle Springs Rd.
David Wildsmith, 219-0417
Monday, December 14 — 5-6 p.m.
Cold Springs Neighborhood Watch (Second Mondays)
Michael Meadowview Neighborhood Watch (Second Mondays)
CAC East Neighborhood Center, 4200 Asheville Hwy.
Michael Meadowview: Marian Bailey, 525-5625
Cold Springs: Terrell Patrick, 525-4833
Monday, December 14 — 6 p.m.
Lyons View Community Club (Second Mondays)
Lyons View Community Center, 114 Sprankle Ave.
Mary Brewster, 454-2390
Monday, December 14 — 6 p.m.
Vestal Community Organization (Second Mondays)
South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Old Maryville Pike
Katherine Johnson, 566-1198
Monday, December 14 — 6 p.m.
Fountain City Town Hall Board Meeting (Second Mondays)
Board Meetings: 6 p.m. Monthly
General Membership Meetings: 7 p.m., February, April, September, November
Church of the Good Shepherd, 5337 Jacksboro Pike
Jamie Rowe, 688-9525, [email protected]
Monday, December 14 — 6:30 p.m.
Community Potluck
Historic Fourth & Gill Neighborhood Organization (Second Mondays)
Central United Methodist Church, 210 Third Ave.
Liz Upchurch, 898-1809, [email protected]
Monday December 14 — 6:30 p.m.
Historic Old North Knoxville (Second Mondays)
St. James Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 1101 N. Broadway
Andie Ray, 548-5221
Monday, December 14 — 7 p.m.
Belle Morris Community Action Group (Second Mondays)
City View Baptist Church, 2311 Fine Ave.
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/Belle_Morris
Rick Wilen, 524-5008
Greenway/Alcoa Hwy Info
Hello Everyone!
I was hoping you would do me a favor. Will you tell the Lakemoor Hills group that I will be at the TDOT public meeting this Tuesday (Sevier Heights North Campus from 5pm to 7pm)? The presentation given that night will be just from TDOT on the highway project but I will have a board there showing a couple of options for the section of Knox Blount Greenway along the UT Ag campus. Even though this part is further down from your neighborhood we thought there might be an interest from some in the group to have a chance to ask questions or give comments.
Thanks!
Shauna Godlevsky
Knox County Parks & Greenways Coordinator
P: 215-6610
High Ground Park Trails
After the last LHHA meeting, a couple of new neighbors asked me for recommendations of walking trails nearby. There are many in South Knoxville but my current favorite is High Ground Park, a truly beautiful set of trails on historic grounds just off Cherokee Trail right next to the immense baby blue water tower. Can’t miss it from the road because its stonework is exceptional. Lots of parking. Particularly good for families with children and older people. Very nice interpretive signs. And, to top it all off, comfortable seating and spectacular views at the summit of the trails as nearly all of the leaves come down. See http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/places/parks/south/high-ground-park.
Across the street from High Ground is a rougher Wilderness Area that is also worthwhile exploring if you’re more of a hiker.
Theresa Pepin
Bowflex wanted
Does anyone have a Bowflex exercise device they wish to sell? We are hoping to find one in great condition. Please contact me via email: [email protected].
Thanks,
Julie Guenther