In August 2023, R. Bentley Marlow, (my title for Marlow “the urban re-development pioneer”) presented 5 Ordinance Amendments to KnoxPlanning. Because he found where there is a way to present his own amendments to KnoxPlanning and then Council to address changes to Recode that have not helped in the infill development and fixing the “Missing Middle”.
The City of Knoxville, KnoxPlanning and East Tennessee Realtors hired Opticos Design for a Missing Middle study, a year ago (September 2022) received this report.
What did Knoxville, Knox Planning do between September 2022 and say June 2023? Apparently NOTHING. One Sunday morning, over about three hours Marlow sat down and wrote out what he believed would fix the missing middle and help density with infill. Marlow has told me and nearly everyone else in town that he had met with Amy Brooks of Knox Planning and David Brace with the City of Knoxville and laid out his recommendations.
On July 6, 2023 Marlow met with Cheryl Ball and Liz Albertson of the City of Knoxville they had nothing to show him about their plans, he provided his plans, even giving them where his plans had changes from his previous discussions with Brooks and Brace. Marlow asked if the City had a draft of what they were considering. Ball said they did not have a draft.
Ball said seven City departments along with Knox Planning are working on input to create a plan. The seven City departments are Law, Plans Review & Inspections , Policy, Economic Development, Engineering, Fire, Neighborhood Community Development. Ball said the City had started the process in April 2023 with all the departments with nothing in concrete on July 6, 2023.
Marlow’s real world experience as he told Ball and Albertson. In Cumberland County for a Surveyor to do a final plat for 34 acres is $5,000. In the City of Knoxville for a Surveyor to do a one acre final plat is $7,500 and is 4 – 5 months away before they would begin, because of all the hoops they must jump through in Knoxville.
Marlow said in the meeting on July 6, City Districts One and Two all vote heavily and if the Mayor wins it out right on August 29, the plan would be released in September. (Interestingly today October 7, Marlow was right. The Mayor won the Primary out right on August 29, the City released it’s plan at the end of business on August 30 on their website and to KnoxPlanning) Marlow asked Ball and Albertson what about his plan gave the City problems or concerns, they would not identify any.
The most enlightening exchange gives me and maybe all of us a glimpse into the City politic, Ball was repeating what the consultant said, “whatever you (city of knoxville) do figure out the incremental bites that politically can happen. So you don’t get stuck putting something together that you can’t political support for.” Marlow replies, “I think right now you can get the political support for a whole lot.” Ball says, at some point whatever we put in front of council must be something they approve. Marlow responds that half of council is term limited. Ball says, “a contentious vote does not make a happy city.” Marlow responds, it was a contentious vote to put Flenniken in South Knox but Debby said on WBIR it was a great thing and she lead the opposition to it. So sometimes contention and hard decisions that are taken in the interest of all will eventually by all to have been good.
On August 31, 2023 Ball and Bryan Berry, Deputy Director City of Knoxville Plans Review and Inspections met with Marlow and Ron Peabody to share the City of Knoxville’s plan. Ball said the administration were not interested in modifying or including any of Marlow’s ideas in their plan. Berry even said, we have a holiday on Monday and the “council” meeting is Tuesday.
When KnoxPlanning met last week on October 5 (3 of Marlow’s 5 plans and the City plan) have been postponed. Likely in my opinion because the City have pushed their item without any transparency and/or willingness to work with Marlow, the OG (original gangster) for fixing the mess that the City finds itself in.
Marlow had a meeting on September 14 with Ball, Amy Brooks, Lindsay Crockett of KnoxPlanning, Berry and Peter Aherns, Director of Plans Reviews and Inspections. Brooks and Crockett informed Marlow that Planning Staff would recommend denial of his plans because there was no public input on his plans. Although in my (Brian Hornback) opinion, I witnessed multiple people speak to the Planning Commission’s August meeting and the Marlow proposals have been on Plannings website since July and have far more comments than the city plans. Marlow attended the two City of Knoxville Open House and City Council workshop, handing QR codes to his plans. The City Open House were not public input sessions. Marlow pointed at the September 14 meeting that Ball said the Mayor’s plan was not subject to revision so the open houses were show only, all in attendance were silent.
End of the day, it is politics! The ugly side of politics and all the City appears to want to do is kick the can down the road until after November 7 and then it will be about getting to the December swearing in of new council members and the Mayor. In January, they probably think no one will think of this again. But I have a funny feeling that more and more people are gonna be here looking for housing and still won’t be able to find it.
