For many years several local citizens have appeared before local government agencies to speak about zoning issues, land use, and planning. In 2018 some of the advocates came together and formed the Knox County Planning Alliance, KPCA. The group recently announced a website and the group is now working with the Knoxville Office of Neighborhoods.

Kim Frazier, Kevin Murphy and Lisa Starbuck are the nucleus of the organization and have combined their efforts with representatives from East Knox County, Keep Urban Wilderness Peaceful, League of Women Voters, Hardin Valley Planning Advocates, Scenic Knoxville, Northshore Corridor Association, Northeast Knox Preservation Association, and Community forum.

The Office of Knoxville Neighborhood Empowerment is working with the group to bring a three-part series of workshops to the public later this summer and fall. The sessions will include addressing land use, how to organize around a new development, and tips for engaging with neighbors and developers.

Frazier told The Knoxville Focus of some of KPCA’s short and long-term efforts and priorities. “Our current efforts include planning residential zoning ordinance reviews, encouraging a full review of the Knox County General Plan, working with citizens, HOA groups, and planning and engineering staff constituent services to address agenda items, providing community outreach to help citizens organize, and working with the Office of Neighborhoods,” she said.

Frazier said the group works to teach the fundamentals of local land use and planning processes from a citizen’s perspective. They help one gain knowledge of what is important, how to conduct research, where to focus attention and who to connect with.

“KCPA will walk you through the process from the receipt of public notification or knowledge of a land use application up to a commission meeting,” she said.

“We will also share how to quickly organize your efforts and neighbors, identify the facts, choose your speakers, communicate your message and establish positive and long lasting community relationships,” she added regarding the group’s community outreach.

KCPA priorities include updating planned residential zoning ordinances, serving on various stakeholder groups, rezoning in the Hardin Valley and Gibbs areas where farm land is being converted to subdivisions, improving how traffic, infrastructure and schools are assessed, building a list of small planning and zoning issues and suggesting new features for the KGIS mapping layers to quickly see which planning cases impact an area.

Anyone interested may contact Frazier at hvpa2018@gmail.com. The Knox County Planning Alliance website is at www. kcpa.us