By Mike Steely

steelym@knoxfocus.com

The Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended against it and the Inskip Neighborhood Association is opposed to it but Quint Bourgeois is appealing to City Council Tuesday. He wants to rezone his property on Bruhin road from R-1A back to R-2 in order to build apartments.

The 4-acre site is across the road from Inskip Park and Pool and neighbors say it would increase traffic there on a busy street where children walk to the pool and park. Bourgeois hopes the city council agrees with him and overturns a 11-3 MPC decision.

Bourgeois says that he failed to be notified of the mass zoning change in Inskip back in 2013 and only learned of the rezoning after the fact. He says that everyone else who asked to remain R-2, which allows apartments, was granted that status.

The neighborhood association has said it is passing a petition around for signatures in opposition to the apartments and the applicant must pass three rounds of voting at city council; changing the North City Sector Plan, changing the One Year Plan, and then the rezoning to allow apartments.

In other action the city council will probably pass the $12,500 annual pay raise for the next mayor, increasing the yearly salary to $142,500. The first reading passed without opposition with the only comment being that the council needs a raise as well.

The council may also discuss increasing the contract for new sidewalk construction along Sutherland Avenue by $15,893 to a total of $389,231.

The Tennessean Hotel, LLC, is asking the city for payments in lieu of taxes for its property at 531 Henley Street. The council will also discuss adding provisions to the city employee pension plan and authorizing giving $2,000 for trees along the North Hills area.