Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 25 – Tuesday July 21, 2015
PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodNewsletterVol8No25
1. City to Hold Public Meeting on Old South High
2. Session on Cell Phone Towers Open to the Public
3. Lonsdale Homecoming Set for Next Weekend
4. City Seeks Public Comment on Police Department
5. Knoxville’s 311 Call Center Takes on Regional 211
6. Are you 50 or over? Make Sure Your Car “Fits” You!
7. 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. City to Hold Public Meeting on Old South High
The City of Knoxville will hold 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.
2. Session on Cell Phone Towers Open to the Public
Cell phone towers — and the increasing need for more and more towers — will be the subject of a workshop scheduled later this month for members of the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
The session begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30, in the small assembly room of the City County Building. The training is intended to give the commissioners an opportunity to learn more about carrier siting requirements, federal oversight, and the limited role of MPC and local government in tower regulation.
The workshop is open to the public. However, depending on the length of the training and questions from commissioners, there may or may not be time for public discussion.
The training will be conducted by Larry Perry, the MPC consultant who reviews cell tower applications from a technical viewpoint. He will provide a brief history of cellular and personal computer systems, changes in federal requirements and preemptions, siting requirements for carriers, options that MPC can consider, telecom alternatives, and relevant court cases.
At a recent MPC meeting, Perry noted the increasingly heavy demand for more cell phone towers due to increased use of smart phones, tablets and other Wi-Fi devices. Indeed, he asked commissioners to imagine a grid placed over the United States, with each box in the grid being one mile square. Even a cell phone tower at every intersection of the grid will not be enough to meet demand, he stated.
Perry recently prepared answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about cell phone towers. 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 more information, contact Tom Brechko (215-2500 or tom.brechko@knoxmpc.org), the MPC staff member who reviews proposed cell towers for compliance with use on review criteria.
3. Lonsdale Homecoming Set for Next Weekend
The 29th Annual Lonsdale Homecoming will be held Friday, July 31, through Sunday, August 2, with all of the traditional activities to be repeated this year on the grounds of Sam E. Hill School, 1725 Delaware Avenue.
The weekend will begin with entertainment and open mic from 6-9 p.m. Friday. The homecoming parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday near the corner of Texas and Western and ends at the school with an 11 a.m. ceremony and a balloon release honoring Lonsdale legends. Mayor Madeline Rogero will serve as Grand Marshal for the parade.
The celebration will continue with children’s games and activities throughout the day, live bands and a DJ in the evening, and vendors of food, crafts and clothing.
On Sunday, the Old-timers Luncheon takes place from 2-4 p.m., followed by an afternoon of gospel music at New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 1933 Texas Avenue.
The homecoming is organized by the Lonsdale Homecoming Committee, a group of current and former Lonsdale residents. For more, contact Cecelia McDowell at 237-6755 or Kim Stinson at 360-5603.
4. City Seeks Public Comment on Police Department
How can the citizens of any town or city feel confident that their police department is operating in the most efficient and professional manner possible, and with the best tools and training?
For starters, citizens can ask if their police department seeks any sort of outside assessment or accreditation by law enforcement professionals.
Ours does. Every three years, KPD undergoes an assessment and re-accreditation process to make sure it meets internationally recognized standards in four key areas: policies and procedures, administration, operations and support services. This process is managed by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). KPD received an accreditation “with excellence” following the last assessment in 2012. See http://www.calea.org/ for more.
Once again it is time for CALEA to evaluate KPD and determine if its accreditation should be continued. An Assessment Team from CALEA will make a site visit to Knoxville during the first week of August. The assessment team reviewing KPD will consist of Chief Brian Childress of the Valdosta, Georgia, Police Department and Assistant Chief Stacy Kelly of the Newport News, Virginia, Police Department.
As part of this on-site assessment, citizens are invited to offer their comments on KPD’s ability to comply with accreditation standards. This can be done in one of four ways:
** Call 865-215-7259 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.
** Attend a public hearing starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, at Overcoming Believers Church, 211 Harriet Tubman Street in East Knoxville. Comments by telephone and at the public meeting are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with accreditation standards.
** Mail written comments to CALEA, 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 21055.
** Email calea@calea.org and place “Knoxville Police Department” in the subject line.
5. Knoxville’s 311 Call Center Takes on Regional 211
Get Connected… Get Answers… Find Help… Give Help.
This, in a nutshell, is the goal of the “Dial 211” service that will now be operated by the City of Knoxville’s 3-1-1 Call Center on behalf of the CAC Office on Aging and United Way.
Covering the 16-county region surrounding Knoxville, Dial 211 provides citizens with information on a wide variety of health and human services, including childcare resources, crisis services, disability services, domestic and sexual violence programs, educational institutions, employment agencies, housing, legal matters, medical and mental health care, prescription and utility assistance, support groups, transportation, and veterans services.
In addition, anyone in the region can dial 211 to volunteer their time or make a donation to one of these services.
The city already has a 311 call center that focuses on city services and therefore was in a position to take over the 211 calls from a sub-contractor in Nashville.
Here are some reminders on using the 311 Call Center: When citizens call, a customer service representative will enter their service request into the City’s advanced tracking system and submit it to the appropriate City department immediately. All requests for service will have a tracking number so customers can check the status and get updates on their requests.
Knoxville’s 311 can also provide City managers with detailed reports that include such information as response times, action taken, maps and other data to assist them in better deploying resources and to make the delivery of City services more efficient.
When calling about a blighted property or overgrown lot, broken sidewalk, malfunctioning street light and similar matters, please provide the exact address including street type (avenue, street, road, lane) or a detailed description of the location based on a nearby address.
Please do not use 311 for police matters. Dial 911 for emergencies requiring an immediate police response and 215-4010 for non-emergencies requiring a police response.
6. Are you 50 or over? Make Sure Your Car “Fits” You!
The Knoxville Police Department, AAA of East Tennessee, and State Farm Insurance are teaming up this weekend to offer a free “CarFit Check” to make sure that you and your car “work better together.”
Designed for drivers 50 and over, the CarFit services will be offered from 9 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. this Saturday, July 25, at KPD’s Phil Keith Training Center, 6388 Cement Plant Road, off Rutledge Pike. Appointments are free but must be made in advance by calling 862-9250 or 862-9252, or by emailing dlindsey@aaasouth.com.
Participants will first be encouraged to test their driving skills — using their own cars — on KPD’s state-of-the-art driving track. They will then be asked a series of simple questions regarding seat and mirror adjustments and driver comfort. An occupational therapist will be on hand to address specific needs, such as need for lumbar support. Participants will leave with recommended car adjustments, a list of resources to keep you on the road safely, and greater peace of mind.
After the CarFit check, you can drive the course again to see if your driving experience improves. Free refreshments and snacks will be provided.
7. 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.
Tuesday, July 21 — 6 p.m.
Delrose Drive Neighborhood Watch
(Third Tuesdays in January, March, May, July, September and November)
Riverview Baptist Church, 3618 Delrose Dr.
Corina and John Buffalow, 523-0102
Tuesday, July 21 — 6:30 p.m.
Lonsdale United for Change (Third Tuesdays)
Lonsdale Recreation Center, Stonewall Ave.
Steve Ritter, 973-0877
Tuesday, July 21 — 7 p.m.
Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association (Third Tuesdays, except December)
Larry Cox Senior Center, 3109 Ocoee Trail
http://edgewoodpark.us/
Tuesday, July 21 — 7 p.m.
City Council (Every Other Tuesday)
http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/citycouncil
Agenda: http://knoxvillecitytn.iqm2.com
Wednesday, July 22 — 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, July 22 — 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, July 23 — 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, July 23 — 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Public Meeting
Topic: Future Use of Old South High building at 953 E. Moody
Meeting Location: Dogwood Elementary School, 705 Tipton Avenue
City of Knoxville, Community Development Department
Becky Wade, 215-2120, bwade@knoxvilletn.gov
Friday, July 24 — 6 p.m.
Free Screening, “Home of the Brave”
2004 documentary about Viola Liuzzo, the civil rights activist
murdered in Alabama by members of the Ku Klux Klan
East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St.
Sponsor: City of Knoxville
Saturday, July 25 — 1 p.m.
Boright Area Neighborhood Watch (Quarterly)
3004 Boright Drive
Lola Alapo, 525-1520, BorightGroup@gmail.com
Monday, July 27 — 2 p.m. (zoning at 5 p.m.)
Knox County Commission
(Fourth Mondays, January-October. Third Mondays, November-December)
www.knoxcounty.org/commission
Agenda: Click on “Information” and then “Commission Agendas”
Public Forum held at start & end of meeting
Monday, July 27 — 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association
Bi-Monthly Meeting (Fourth Mondays, odd months, except holidays)
Woodlawn Christian Church, 4339 Woodlawn Pike
Shelley Conklin, 686-6789
Tuesday, July 28 — 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, July 28 — 6:30 p.m.
Chilhowee Park Neighborhood Association (Last Tuesdays)
Administration Building, Knoxville Zoo
Paul Ruff, 696-6584
Thursday, July 30 — 3:30 p.m.
Better Building Board
(Last Thursday, January-October. First Thursday, December)
Small Assembly Room, City-County Building
http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/boards_commissions/better_building_board/
Cheri Hollifield, 215-2119, chollifield@knoxvilletn.gov
Thursday, July 30 — 6:00 p.m.
Fairmont-Emoriland Neighborhood Association
New Life Ministries, 1928 Fairmont Blvd.
Joe Rader, 689-7618
Thursday, July 30 — 6 p.m.
MPC Workshop on Cell Phone Tower Regulations
Open to the public but designed for MPC commissioners
Small Assembly Room, City County Building
Metropolitan Planning Commission
Tom Brechko, 215-2500 or tom.brechko@knoxmpc.org
Friday, July 31 — 9:30 a.m.
Public Officer Hearing – Neighborhood Codes Enforcement
(Usually held on the Friday following Better Building Board meetings)
The PO considers action on violations of city’s building codes.
Small Assembly Room, City County Building
http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/boards_commissions/better_building_board/
Cheri Hollifield, 215-2119, chollifield@knoxvilletn.gov
Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2
29th Annual Lonsdale Homecoming
Grounds of Sam E. Hill School
Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 1
Ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday
Old-Timers Luncheon, 2 p.m. Sunday, August 2
Lonsdale Homecoming Committee
Cecelia McDowell at 237-6755 or Ki