Kerbela Development Update: What You Need to Know and How You Can Help

[Janice Tocher]

Please see the following update from SWAAG on the proposed Kerbela Development.

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There has been an important development in the Kerbela project, and we need the community to pay attention.

At the July Planning Commission meeting, commissioners sent the project back for further work because it still did not provide a public connection through the site from Mimosa Street to Sevier Avenue and remained out of alignment with the South Waterfront Vision Plan. Commissioners specifically directed CRE to meet with the South Waterfront Advisory and Advocacy Group (SWAAG) to address these issues.

SWAAG subsequently met with CRE for more than three hours and identified two key changes that we believe are essential:

• A genuine, open-air north/south public connection through the site
• Activate the Dawson corner and street (where currently there is shown a blank parking garage wall) by incorporating human-based and community-engaging elements.

Unfortunately, CRE's latest plan does not substantially address either request. The gated/enclave design remains, the public north/south connection has not been resolved, and activation of the Dawson corner has effectively been left to the City — with no identified budget or schedule.

SWAAG supports the addition of housing at the Kerbela site. Our concern is not the housing itself, but how the development is being designed. We believe CRE should follow the rules that govern the property and honor the South Waterfront Vision Plan, which was developed to guide how this area grows and connects with the surrounding community.

How You Can Help

If you care about how this development fits into the future of South Knoxville, please consider submitting a public comment on the most recent plan.

Even if you have previously submitted a comment, please submit a new comment regarding the most recent plan.Your individual perspective matters, and comments are most effective when they reflect your own experience, concerns, and priorities.

The Kerbela project is scheduled to come before the Planning Commission as Agenda Item #44 — Case 4-A-26-OB

 

Review the Kerbela case and submit a public comment here: https://knoxplanning.org/cases/4-A-26-OB

SWAAG will be posting its comments tomorrow for those who would like additional background and information. We encourage you to submit comments in your own voice and share what matters most to you about the project and the future of the South Waterfront.

Planning Commission Meeting

Because this is Agenda Item #44, it will be heard toward the end of the meeting.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly what time it will be heard. The timing will depend on how quickly the Commission moves through earlier agenda items, including cases that are heard on consent or are postponed.

If you are interested in speaking at the Planning Commission meeting, please let Janice Tocher know so we can coordinate speakers and talking points. Public comment time is limited, so coordinating our presentations will help ensure we make the most effective use of the time available.

Janice Tocher
Phone: 865-661-1685
Email: jan...@averra.com

Please share this message with any who may have an interest in this development or the South Waterfront. If you have questions, please contact Rachel Craig at rlc...@usit.net, 865-919-3476.

Cheers!

Janice

Averra Media Corp

Phone: 865-661-1685