Knoxville mayoral candidate Eddie Mannis laid out plans for how he would implement Recode, the complete revamping of the city zoning ordinance. It was passed by city council a week ago but is not scheduled to take effect until January 1, 2020.
“All across the city I hear concerns about Recode,” said Mannis. “Citizens are concerned and have questions about the impact to their homes. We need to ensure they are provided all of the available information in an understandable format and that their concerns are heard and addressed.”
The process Mannis laid out involves six steps:
- During the first city council meeting of the newly elected council, to be held in December 2019, Mannis will ask city council to delay the effective date to allow the incoming city council members and the new administration time to evaluate the ordinance with Knoxville-Knox County Planning and city staff.
- Mannis will expand the stakeholder committee to reflect a wider range of the community at large-specifically to include broader neighborhood representation. This group, in partnership with the mayor and city staff, will be responsible for ongoing review of the ordinance moving forward.
- Identify and address, to the best ability possible, the changes that are created regarding land use, density, property valuation, and demand on public services within each neighborhood/community.
- Identify the conformance of Recode with the most currently adopted land use plans for each community.
- Identify any discrepancies between Recode and requirements of the State of Tennessee.
- Provide a summary report, including simple-to-understand fact sheets, that are made available on the city website and distributed widely, to include libraries, senior centers, etc.
“It is critically important that neighborhood groups have a seat at the table and are added to the stakeholder committee,” says Mannis.
“The issue now is not whether Recode should be passed. That has happened. The focus now needs to be on making sure Recode is a positive and beneficial thing for the entire city moving forward. A measured approach with lots of citizen collaboration with the new administration makes that far more likely,” says Mannis. “There is no rush. If elected, my administration will work hard every day to get it right.”
