Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory
Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 21 – Tuesday, June 23, 2015
PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodNewsletterVol8No21
1. Neighborhood Yard Sale in Cumberland Estates
2. North Hills Garden Tour Set for Saturday
3. “Coffee with the Councilman” Is This Saturday
4. AmeriCorps Service Ending for Griff Ashooh, Travis Nissen
5. Pursue a Relentless Search for Strengths
6. It’s Official: Everly Brothers Park
7. City to Hold Public Meeting on Old South High
8. Candidates Set for 2015 City Elections
9. MPC Offers FAQ on the Siting of Cell Phone Towers
10. Neighborhoods: Stay Informed on Upcoming MPC Agenda Items
11. Community Schools Expand to Three New Sites
12. UT Sponsors Youth Transit Camp
13. Knox Heritage Seeks Salvage Proposals
14. 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.
1. Neighborhood Yard Sale in Cumberland Estates
Cumberland Estates West Neighborhood Watch will hold a neighborhood yard sale this Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m.
The Cumberland Estates neighborhood is located between Western Avenue and Sullivan Road, on either side of Palmetto Road. This particular multi-yard sale is concentrated west of Palmetto.
2. North Hills Garden Tour Set for Saturday
The North Hills Garden Club is hosting a Garden Tour on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is open to the public and will take place rain or shine.
The tour will feature seven residential gardens located along the neighborhood’s historic boulevards. While on the tour, participants can speak directly to homeowners about the various plants, flowers and techniques used in their gardens.
Tickets are $10 per person or $15 for a family. Participants can purchase tickets and begin the tour at two locations: 1927 North Hills Blvd. or 3033 Fountain Park Blvd. All proceeds are used for the beautification of the neighborhood’s boulevards and park.
See https://www.facebook.com/events/843400875740352/ for pictures and more information.
3. “Coffee with the Councilman” Is This Saturday
Vice Mayor and First District Councilman Nick Pavlis will hold his quarterly “Coffee with the Councilman” this Saturday, June 27.
As usual, he will be at the Roundup Restaurant, 3643 Sevierville Pike, starting at 9 a.m. and will stay until the last person is heard. The event is open to all city residents. “I hope to see you there for a great breakfast, fellowship, and discussion of any city matter,” he said in a recent email to constituents.
4. AmeriCorps Service Ending for Griff Ashooh, Travis Nissen
AmeriCorps members Griff Ashooh and Travis Nissen this week are closing out 45 weeks of service to the Knoxville community in general and to Knoxville’s neighborhoods in particular.
The two recent college graduates — Griff from William and Mary and Travis from the University of Wisconsin — spent the last 10 months immersed in the programs and projects of the Office of Neighborhoods and the Community Development Department.
They helped produce this weekly newsletter, answered phones, provided logistical support to our leadership training program, made huge contributions to the success of The Neighborhood Conference back in March, and assisted with a myriad of other tasks and projects.
In addition, Griff further developed the Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program, and Travis worked with neighborhood groups in the Neighborhood Working Group on Blighted Properties. We are grateful for their service, hard work, good humor and commitment to a better world.
Both Griff and Travis are headed for graduate school. Griff will be at American University in Washington, D.C., studying international development, and Travis will be at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., studying architecture.
If you worked with Griff or Travis this past year, you still have time to convey your best wishes. Contact Travis at 215-3077 or tnissen@knoxvilletn.gov. Contact Griff at 215—3456 or gashooh@knoxvilletn.gov. Their last day is Wednesday, June 24.
The City of Knoxville’s participation in the AmeriCorps program is made possible by CAC AmeriCorps, a program of CAC (the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Agency).
5. Pursue a Relentless Search for Strengths
Debbie Sharp, the assistant neighborhoods coordinator in the Office of Neighborhoods, recently attended the annual Neighborhoods, USA conference in Houston, Texas, and she is sharing what she learned on the Office of Neighborhoods blog.
Visit http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods to see her observations on the advantage of using “appreciative inquiry” — searching for strengths — to accomplish your mission and goals. Just click on “Office of Neighborhoods Blog.”
6. It’s Official: Everly Brothers Park
The City of Knoxville’s Public Property Naming Committee last week voted unanimously to call a new pocket park in west Knoxville “Everly Brothers Park” in honor of the singing duo Don and Phil Everly.
Located at the corner of Kingston Pike and Forest Park Blvd., the park is a project of the Bearden Council, which is raising funds to add amenities to the space and to connect it to the Third Creek Greenway. In April, City Council authorized leasing the property from the Tennessee Dept. of Transportation (Advisory, April 14, 2015).
Look for a proposed park design and fund-raising efforts later this summer.
7. City to Hold Public Meeting on Old South High
The City of Knoxville has scheduled a public meeting to take ideas and comments from the public regarding the redevelopment and repurposing of the historic Old South High building located at 953 E. Moody Avenue.
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at Dogwood Elementary School, 705 Tipton Avenue.
The city acquired the long-blighted structure back in the spring (Advisory, May 5, 2015). Following the public meeting, the Community Development Department will request proposals from developers capable of bringing the building back into productive use in a way that enhances the surrounding neighborhoods.
8. Candidates Set for 2015 City Elections
Six offices are on the election ballot for the City of Knoxville this fall, with two incumbents facing no opposition and four incumbents facing at least one opponent.
Mayor Madeline Rogero, seeking her second four-year term, will face a single opponent — Buck Cochran, who lost to Marshall Stair for At-Large Seat B four years ago.
Four of the nine seats on Knoxville City Council are on the ballot this year, and all four incumbents are running for their second term.
George Wallace faces no opposition for At-Large Seat A. Marshall Stair will compete with Carly Baskette and Pete Drew for At-Large Seat B. Finbarr Saunders drew three opponents — Kelly Absher, Paul Bonovich, and David Williams — in the race for At-Large Seat C.
Only one of the six district seats on City Council is up for election this year. Fifth District Council Member Mark Campen has one opponent, Jennifer Mirtes. Municipal Court Judge John Rosson, Jr. has no opposition. The qualifying deadline for all of these races was last Thursday, and candidates have until noon this Thursday, June 25, to withdraw, or their names will appear on the ballot regardless of whether they mount a campaign or not.
To see the treasurer appointed by each candidate, along with the list of individuals who signed their nominating petitions, visit http://knoxcounty.org/election/ and click on “Officials and Candidates” at the top of the page, then on “Petitions and Financial Disclosures.”
On the calendar, August 31 is the last day to register for the primary election, which is on September 2. October 5 is the last day to register for the General Election, which is on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Visit http://knoxcounty.org/election/ to confirm that you are registered to vote, and, if not, to learn how and where to register. The site will also list early voting locations and times.
9. MPC Offers FAQ on the Siting of Cell Phone Towers
Get ready for more applications for cell phone towers in Knoxville and Knox County — and in residential neighborhoods.
Due to increasing demand for wireless communications and capacity to handle broadband transmissions, cell phone companies are constantly seeking to expand and upgrade their networks.
Three cell phone tower applications were on the June agenda for the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), all from the same applicant. All three items were postponed. The proposed locations for these towers include Lakemoor Hills in South Knox County, the Bluegrass area in West Knox County, and a parcel between Martha Berry Drive and Ridgecrest Drive in North Knoxville.
To a limited degree, federal law allows local governments to regulate the placement of cell phone towers, but the cell phone company’s primary hurdle is to prove that a particular tower location is essential to providing service to its customers — and that it does not have access to another tower or structure on which to place its antenna in order to obtain the required coverage.
To assess cell tower applications, MPC retains a consultant, Larry Perry, who recently presented the MPC Executive Committee with answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about cell phone towers. MPC has made this document available on its website. Browse to www.knoxmpc.org and locate the cell tower article on the home page.
In addition, visit http://archive.knoxmpc.org/plans/wireless/index.htm to see a copy of MPC’s longer and more technical Wireless Communications Plan.
For details on the three pending tower applications, click on the “Branch Towers” items in the June MPC agenda, which can be found at http://agenda.knoxmpc.org/Jun15.pdf.
10. Neighborhoods: Stay Informed on Upcoming MPC Agenda Items
Neighborhood organizations that wish to keep track of new commercial developments, rezonings and related matters in or near their neighborhoods are encouraged to follow the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) via Facebook, Twitter and email.
MPC acts as the planning department for both the City of Knoxville and Knox County, and all rezonings, development plans and uses on review originate there.
To get on the email list, just browse to www.knoxmpc.org and look for the article at the bottom of the page titled “Keep up with MPC…”
Those on the email list recently received a notice that MPC has posted a list of requests for plan amendments, rezonings, approval of development plans, and uses on review that likely will be on MPC’s agenda for its July 9 monthly meeting.
Note that this list of requests, posted about three weeks prior to each meeting, is later replaced by the preliminary agenda about two weeks out, and then by the Agenda Package on the Friday afternoon before the MPC monthly meeting.
For more, see http://agenda.knoxmpc.org/index.htm.
11. Community Schools Expand to Three New Sites
In partnership with Knox County Schools, the Great Schools Partnership Community Schools Initiative is expanding to include three additional sites: Beaumont Magnet Academy, Dogwood Elementary School and Northwest Middle School.
“We look forward to partnering with the school administrators, staff, students and parents, along with neighborhood leaders, businesses and other stakeholders at these three schools,” said Stephanie Welch, vice president of operations for Community Schools at the Great Schools Partnership. “Working together, we will move closer to the vision of healthy communities with schools at the center.”
New Community Schools are identified using a variety of criteria, including school academic performance, student behavior, discipline referrals and socioeconomic indicators. School administration and faculty support, as well as community interest, are also key considerations.
These schools join eight existing Community Schools: Christenberry, Green Magnet, Lonsdale, Norwood, Pond Gap, Sarah Moore Green Magnet, and South Knoxville Elementary Schools, along with Vine Magnet Middle School. The community school at Pond Gap is a partnership with the University of Tennessee.
Community Schools marshal community resources for student success, family health and neighborhood safety. They are open for extended hours and offer additional instruction time as well as recreational, arts, mental health, adult education and other services. Each Community School is guided by a site steering committee composed of school staff, teachers, parents, businesses and other community leaders. Community Schools are funded through a blend of public and private contributions.
For more, see http://www.greatschoolspartnership.com/ and visit the Facebook page.
12. UT Sponsors Youth Transit Camp
The University of Tennessee this summer is providing a three-day “transit camp” for high school students (rising freshmen through seniors).
The event — staged by the Center for Transportation Research within the College of Engineering — will include three full days of information and experience regarding public transit systems. Students will tour the KAT bus facilities in Knoxville, participate in a city-wide scavenger hunt on the transit system, and take a trip to Atlanta, Ga., to ride MARTA.
The event takes place Wednesday through Friday, July 29-31, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. but the last day is longer. The cost is $99, lunch is provided each day, and dinner is also provided on the third day.
For more, visit http://ctr.utk.edu/education/k12.html or contact Tammy Enix at 974-4621 or tenix@utk.edu. See http://ctr.utk.edu/education/registration.php to register online.
13. Knox Heritage Seeks Salvage Proposals
The Knox Heritage Salvage Shop is now accepting proposals for its annual fundraiser, The Salvage Show, whose mission is to showcase unique and creative ways salvage can be used in art and design while benefitting the work of Knox Heritage.
Deadline for proposals is July 8 and may be sent to salvage@knoxheritage.org. All pieces will be available to purchase through a silent auction on Friday, August 7 at the shop. For details, visit www.knoxheritage.org/salvage . To set up an appointment to pick up salvage or to submit a proposal, email Beth at beth@knoxheritage.org or call 865-313-2111.
14. Neighborhood and Government Calendar
Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 215-3456.
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.
Tuesday, June 23 — 6 p.m.
Inskip Community Association (Asociación de la Comunidad de Inskip)
Community Meeting (Fourth Tuesdays)
Inskip Baptist Church, 4810 Rowan Rd.
Betty Jo Mahan, 679-2748, bettymahan@knology.net
Tuesday, June 23 — 7 p.m.
City Council (Every Other Tuesday)
http://knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_council
Agenda: http://knoxvillecitytn.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx
Wednesday, June 24 — 9 a.m.
Infill Housing Design Review Committee (Fourth Wednesdays)
Re: infill housing in central city neighborhoods with IH-1 overlay
http://www.knoxmpc.org/zoning/infill.htm
Jeff Archer, 215-3821, jeff.archer@knoxmpc.org
Wednesday, June 24 — 9 a.m.
Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Committee
(Fourth Wednesdays, Jan.-Oct., and Third Wednesdays, Nov.-Dec.)
Small Assembly Room, City County Building
Agenda: http://www.knoxtrans.org/meetings/execagen.htm
Dori Canon, 215-2694, dori.canon@knoxmpc.org
Thursday, June 25 — 9 a.m.
Special Events Community Meeting (Fourth Thursdays, January-October)
“Meet with city services that may assist in planning your event.”
Civic Coliseum Ballroom, Third Floor
Free Parking available at Civic Coliseum Parking Garage
Office of Special Events, 215-4248
Thursday, June 25 — CANCELLED
Better Building Board
Next Scheduled Meeting: July 30
Friday, June 26 — CANCELLED
Public Officer Hearing – Neighborhood Codes Enforcement
Next Scheduled Meeting: July 31
Saturday, June 27 — 8:30 a.m. until ??
Community-Wide Yard Sale
Cumberland Estates neighborhood east of Palmetto Drive
Cumberland Estates West Neighborhood Watch
Saturday, June 27 — 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, 454-7216
Tuesday, June 30 — 6:30 p.m.
Chilhowee Park Neighborhood Association (Last Tuesdays)
Administration Building, Knoxville Zoo
Paul Ruff, 696-6584