~from the City Office of Neighborhoods

Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) staff, together with the Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association (OLPNA), will be hosting a public input meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m., in the OLPNA Clubhouse, 916 Shamrock Ave.

At this meeting, OLPNA neighbors will have the opportunity to discuss a potential new design overlay district for a portion of the Oakwood Neighborhood. MPC was directed by City Council resolution to conduct a study of the Oakwood neighborhood and make a recommendation on this type of zoning overlay for the area.

The meeting is open to anyone who owns property in the Oakwood neighborhood, lives in the area, or has an interest in how design review overlay district works.

The design review overlay district could take form as either an NC-1 or H-1 zoning overlay.  NC-1 stands for Neighborhood Conservation Overlay and H-1 stands for Historic Overlay.  Both types of overlays strive to protect neighborhood character through a design review of new construction and demolition.  However, the H-1 Overlay additionally provides guidelines for review of changes to existing buildings, and focuses on retaining the historic character of individual houses as well as the streetscape.

For more information or questions regarding historic overlays, visit the City’s Historic Preservation site or contact Kaye Graybeal, MPC Historic Preservation Planner, at 215-3795 or kaye.graybeal@knoxmpc.org.