I meant BZA variances, which I should know well enough not to make that error, since I've attended a number of those. Thanks for the correction.

Rezonings would be another tool of course.

Zoning that protects ridge tops and steep slopes must become a top priority.

Better late than never, but edna has a great point. The same economics that have made steep slope development attractive can "get around" steepness per se--i.e., they just flatten the damn hills in their way. (Works for coal-rich hills too!)

Such zoning laws need to be robust. Density and other restrictions must prevent loopholes (big enough to drive an earth mover through--heh) and MPC should stop routinely granting zoning appeals. Developers need to be treated more like the greed-thirsty thugs too many are, and not like gods, as has been the tradition.

The tower was constructed by Dovetail Development of Athens, GA, the developer of the Woodlands development. They needed better water supply than existed on the ridge for their new development, and struck a deal with KUB. The tank was built on a parcel that was annexed by the City of Knoxville, but that annexation was then blocked by a lawsuit filed by Arthur Seymour, Jr. on Dovetail's behalf. That allowed them to build Woodlands Phase 1 and the tank under Knox County rules (such as they are) rather than city regulations.

KUB has told me that they required Dovetail to build the tank to their specifications. It is my understanding that they forced Dovetail to build it so it would also service the older Cherokee Bluff Condominiums that have apparently suffered from poor water pressure all of these years. That would explain the otherwise unnecessary extra height of the tank. Without that higher elevation demand, a ground mounted tank might have sufficed.

There are a lot of "ifs" here, but that's all they are now. If City Council had decided to hold Dovetail's feet to the fire, and not approve zoning on Phase 2 until they agreed to several other requirements (including allowing all of the property to come into the city), I believe it would have made a major difference. If we had included that ridge area in our south waterfront zoning in some way, in order to protect from just such travesties, controls could have been in place that everyone (including KUB) would have had to comply with. Unfortunately, I failed to convince other decision makers in both those cases, and I take responsibility for that failure.

I was told by KUB today that, given the increasing demand for ridge top land that was not considered attractive for development in the past, we should expect more of this kind of thing in the future. My response was that we should take that as a clear indication of the need to get ahead of this problem before we're faced with any more of these debacles. Zoning that protects ridge tops and steep slopes must become a top priority.

The 500 year flood, once it comes, will provide you a more permanent solution.

I figure a 6" rain build up behind the shotcrete retaining wall might do in the parking lot. Don't think the destruction would do in the building. A flood like we had in 1983 WILL inundate the parking garage.

As for the water tower, there was a perfectly good water tower on Cherokee Trail for years and years, smack dab in the middle of phase 2 Woodlands and about 50' above the road. Funny thing, you never noticed it? Well it had a 50' hill beneath it and trees all around. You could see it in the winter if you were looking for it, otherwise, not.

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Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Well, at least it draws the eye away from those not-so-lovely condos across from the sewer treatment plant.

Maybe the plan is to put a digital billboard on it.

Paint it orange and slap a huge "Baden" on it. It can either be an annex for the women's hall of fame or maybe a place to hang a banner when it comes time to beg Bruce Pearl not to take the Kentucky job...

Hmm, did they really need that extra elevation that the tower provided over a tank on the ground? You don't see many towers on the top of hills or ridges, they are mostly used in flatter land.

Maybe it should have had a theme. Like the apple ones in VA, peaches in GA, or oranges in FL. What could a Knoxville tower be? A football? A bit T?

That was erected in just a few days?

Funny how some projects are deliberated for years, while others just pop up out of nowhere.

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

Looks like the Sunsphere is getting a little competition.

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With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

I think I can safely say everybody who has to look at it hates it. It's like they tried really hard to put it exactly where it would mar the views of the ridgetops.

I heard talk yesterday of a ridgetop proctection ordinance from someone at the City (something I've thought was a good idea for years, and which has been met mostly with shrugs). But KUB'd probably be exempt anyway.

"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes