Update on Alcoa Hwy Landscape Presentation

This morning the Alcoa Hwy Beautification Council was invited to speak at the Knox Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) in the City County building.  This group is made up of city & county mayors from Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon, and Sevier Counties in addition to a variety of other representatives.  We presented our landscape plans for the Phase I portion of the Alcoa Hwy expansion project, with which all of you are very familiar.

The TPO told us before the meeting that they DO NOT endorse community projects.  We asked them to endorse ours anyway.

They thoughtfully listened to the presentation and asked great questions.  Then they voted to endorse the project, not just for the portion that is under construction right now outside our doors, but for the ENTIRE Alcoa Hwy Corridor – Knoxville to Blount County.  A number of mayors asked for copies of the presentation to educate their constituents also.

This is the first, but important, step in acquiring the needed $330,000 for the initial installation of the landscape.  City and county budgets are developed through the winter and voted on in the late spring.

But none of this would have happened without the support of this great neighborhood, our garden clubs, our sister neighborhood organizations on both sides of the highway and you.

Thank you so much!