Did the City Get What it Bargained For in Recode?

In December 2016, the City Council approved the contract with Camiros, the Recode Knoxville consultant.  Let’s look at how the original agreement with the City has changed its purpose since then.    

             

The Camiros’ contract (beginning page 67) stated its understanding of the City’s vision, which the Recode process would advance:    

• "This (zoning) update should provide standards to guide the continued development and
  
  redevelopment of the city in a manner that uses resources efficiently and builds a strong, sustainable, walkable community."
• “Any new development based on the anticipated population increases should be compact and sustainable.” 
• “The City has acknowledged that more transportation choices coupled with compact, sustainable development improves the quality for Knoxville residents.  Good zoning can advance the goal of greater mobility options.” 
• “Transit-oriented development (TOD) requirements, tied to key transit hubs, help to increase public transit use and reduce vehicle miles traveled.  Zoning regulations must link to those initiatives so that as development grows around new investment, the City’s return on the investment grows as well.”

These were the understandings between Camiros and the City back in 2016.  Fast forward to the October 2018 Recode draft. The stated purpose and goals no longer include the contractual agreement’s stated understanding of resource efficiency, sustainable, walkable, transit-oriented development, compact development, population growth, transportation, mobility options, complete streets, public transit, reduce vehicle miles traveled.

At the recent City Council workshop on Recode, two of the four City Council members who were on the Council when it approved the Camiros contract back in 2016 expressed confusion, and we can understand why.   The recent drafts presented by MPC have strayed far from the City’s vision of sustainability.  While mixed used is now allowed by right along the major transit corridors, the ‘preservation of neighborhood character’ seems to have thoroughly trumped the other goals for sustainability, compact development, walkability, and a robust public transportation system.

KAT wants and needs increased density throughout its bus system.  Moving toward greater density along the KAT bus routes will bring us closer to the original sustainability goals that started the whole Recode process.  Specifically, Recode can,

• Revise the recode zoning map to provide opportunities to build small multifamily housing (2-20 units) by right (RN-4) within ¼ mile of all KAT bus routes. 
•  Provide ample opportunities for small multi-family (RN-4) within ½ mile surrounding development nodes and other major intersections.
• Reduce the required lot size for duplexes within single-family districts and RN-4.
• Develop design standards for new construction that ensure new housing types are consistent with existing housing.