Agricultural lands being zoned for housing in Knox County

By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
While the City of Knoxville struggles to find empty or available property to build houses, apartments and duplexes, Knox County still has an abundance of open land. August 28’s zoning session of the Knox County Commission proved that land zoned agricultural is quickly becoming reconsidered as sites for future dwellings.
The planning commission recommended a dozen such requests for rezonings that were approved in final readings by the Knox County Commission last week.
Former agricultural-zoned properties that were reassigned included: 1103 East Beaver Creek Drive to RA, low-density residential; 7336 Millertown Pike to PR, planned residential; 1513 East Emory Road to CA and OB, general business and office and medical; 5711 Brown Gap Road to PR; 1533 Forrest Road to RA; 842 East Raccoon Valley Road to PR; 8103 Norris Freeway and 8150 Pelleaux Road to PR; and 6789 Oak Ridge Highway to OB, office and medical services.
A rezoning of another agricultural property to low-density residential, at 1412 Chert Pit Road, was postponed because the applicant didn’t appear.
Two applicants, Richard and Laura Toole, successfully asked for their property at 10110 Mascot Road to be moved from low-density residential to agricultural, explaining to the meeting that they want to raise cows and goats on the property.