Recommendations

After studying the site and investigating local and national trends, MPC and KCPRD recommend creating a community-friendly retail center. Multi-functional public space that includes a reduced area for a farmers market, pedestrian amenities, recreational enhancement and slope protection should be incorporated into the site plan. In order for the site to remain viable as a shopping center in the long-term, quality design features must be incorporated into the property. Figure 1 conceptually illustrates a retail site plan that provides features that are preferred, including pedestrian friendly qualities and public space. Additional retail center concepts are shown in Appendix 5.

General Recommendations

• When development proposals are received and selected, MPC requests early involvement in reviewing the site plans. A commercial zone requiring site design review by MPC staff is recommended. Planned Commercial (PC) and Shopping Center (SC) are good alternatives and are outlined further in Appendix 6 of this document. Public use space should be zoned open space and slope protection.
• Develop no more than two large-scale “big-box” commercial establishments so that smaller stores, services and public space can be incorporated into site improvements.
• Provisions should be made in the proposal process to assure that any company that wishes to relocate to the Farmers Market property will allow reuse or redevelopment of their former site. Leaving vacant buildings anywhere in the community can lead to neighborhood blight and should be avoided.
• A portion of the proceeds of the commercial lease should be specified for acquisition and development of parks and other community facilities. Knox County should explore the applicability of revenue bonds (based upon the projected income from this property) to proceed with the development of community facility improvements.
• Knox County, the Industrial Development Board and the Development Corporation should consider acquiring additional land at either end of the site to enhance development potential. This could increase the amount of land that could be developed by another 10 to 15 acres.
• Some developers may see an economic advantage to the provision of medium density housing as component of site development. Such housing could have the advantage of helping to create an immediate market and the pedestrian orientation that was desired by those who participated in the meetings. A mixed use commercial/residential development can be created using the Town Center (TC) zone.

Prohibited Use Recommendations
In addition to what is prohibited in the zoning ordinance, MPC recommends that the following be prohibited:

Drive-through fast food windows

• Gas pumps/stations
• Car wash facilities
• Self-storage facilities
• Parking lot and sidewalk sales, displays, storage and RV camping
• Outdoor storage in parking areas

Recommended Design and Conservation Principles
The following principles should be used to guide future development of the Farmers Market property:

Conserve environmentally sensitive and aesthetically pleasing landscapes.

• The steep slopes of the ridge (those over 25%) should not be cleared or graded.

• The area immediately below such slopes, if graded, should be re-contoured (not to exceed a 3:1 slope), and replanted with groundcover and native shade and evergreen trees (minimum 2 1/2 inch caliper trees that are capable of attaining 50 foot height at maturity and planted at a minimum distribution of 10 trees per 10,000 square feet).
• Peripheral areas (open spaces to the east, west and south), detention basin and out parcel areas should be planted with a combination of native shade, ornamental and evergreen trees (based upon a minimum distribution of 18 trees per acre with shade trees accounting for at least 50% of planted trees).
• A minimum of 50% of the area around buildings should be planted with combination of shrubs and native ornamental, shade and evergreen trees (with shade trees accounting for at least 50% of the tree plantings).

Develop buildings that complement the setting and other components of the development.

• Building façades should be broken at intervals to reduce “big-box appearance” (for example, an indentation or projection of several feet should be made for every 100 horizontal feet).

• Ground-floor façades of “big boxes” (in excess of 50,000 square feet) should have covered walkways, other shops, display windows, entry areas or awnings as part of the façade design.
• Designated space, which is landscaped and constructed with similar materials and colors as that of the main building, should be created for automotive, gardening, play equipment and similar sales and services (parking lot and sidewalk spaces should not be used for display or sales space).
• Roof materials and roof pitch should be consistent (as preferred by area residents, pressed metal roofs should be the basis of this design).

• Entrances should be defined by gables, parapets and other distinguishing features.
• Building materials that are traditional in Tennessee Valley’s heritage should be used in constructing the façades of the buildings. These include brick, natural stone (laid in stacked fashion) and timber. Textured concrete could be used on a portion of the facade. Cut block, stucco-like materials and metal fabric should not be used.

• Façade surfaces should be not be reflective and be composed of neutral or earth tone color. Accent and trim features may have a brighter, primary color.
• An overall sign master plan should be required as part of site plan approval with one major sign providing the name of the development and its components. Monument signs should be used for out parcel development. A system of directional signs for drivers and pedestrians and wall signs should have coordinated design elements (see the example from Arlington, Virginia in Appendix 6).

Make the development a pedestrian-friendly place.

• Sidewalks (12 to 14 feet wide, a width sufficient for two couples to pass each other) should be located in front of buildings.

• Landscaped walkways should be provided to make walking through parking areas safer and more pleasant. Changes in surface texture, such as concrete, should be used to distinguish these walkways from the asphalt of the parking lot.

• Separated sidewalks should be provided along Washington Pike and connections should be made from the sidewalk system to the commercial development and the future greenway trails and footpaths.
• In view of the length of the tract, at least two transit shelters should be provided at intermediate points and near the major retail establishments.
• A pedestrian bridge should be constructed with future Washington Pike improvements, providing a connection to the Kohl’s shopping area.

Provide space for publicly-oriented events and pastimes.

• Set aside a minimum of 2 acres of centrally located public space that is adaptable for multiple purposes, including agricultural product sales and community events. The space should be landscaped and tree shaded. It should be created as a joint project by the developer and Knox County and managed by Knox County.

• Use the RFP process to define the types of public space that will be created and how the developer will assist in development and maintenance (for example, plaza space and a children’s play area).
• The developer should allow shared parking, serving these public improvements.
• Set-aside easements for a footpath on the ridge with connections to the proposed separated sidewalks/greenway trail along Washington Pike.

Blend parking and water detention areas with the natural and built environment.

• Native shade trees should planted throughout parking areas, providing one tree per ten parking spaces.

• Parking should be distributed in equal proportions around commercial development.
• Work with the Site Planning Roundtable to determine appropriate best management techniques, including reduction of runoff with pervious parking area features, such as planting strips (one strip for every three double rows of parking), pervious basins and borders, and green pervious parking spaces (amounting to 20% of the required parking).
• In designing the detention basin, edges should appear as natural landscaped terrain.

• Provide lighting that safely illuminates parking and delivery areas while limiting skyward and off premise glare (for example, see the Lincoln, Nebraska Parking Lot, Landscaping and Lighting Standards in Appendix 8).

Create a traffic circulation system that minimizes conflicts.

• Access to all development, including any out parcels, should be via internal roads and drives; in other words, no direct access should be made from any establishment to Washington Pike.
• Developers should share costs of planned road improvements. • Tree-lined internal roads should be used to route traffic to parking areas.
• Knox County should work with the City of Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to develop an overall road improvement program for all the commercial development in the area, examining improvements to Mall Road circulation and direct access from westbound I-640 to Washington Pike.
• Improvements to I-640 (a west-bound exit and additional east-bound turn lane at Washington Pike), Beverly Road and Greenway Drive may be warranted for both commercial establishment and traffic system success, and should be pursed in conjunction with city and state officials.
• A traffic impact study should be required as part of the development plan.

Recommended Parks, Publicly-Oriented Space and Public Facilities
As documented in the background material, over 90 acres of additional close-to-home park space is needed in the study area. Additional park space will be needed with future population growth. Close-to-home park space includes neighborhood parks, which are generally within walking distance of area residents, and community parks, which include a wider range of recreation and leisure activities, ranging from active recreation spaces (for example, designated softball and soccer fields) to more informal spaces (multi-use play field space and picnic facilities). These facilities can eventually be connected by a system of greenway trails, sidewalks and footpaths throughout the community.

Public Space and Farmers Market

• As part of the Farmers Market property’s redevelopment, a portion of the land should be set aside for publicly-oriented purposes. This could include a plaza and pavilion or shed space for such events as local farmer product sales and seasonal pastimes (for example, Halloween parties, clog and square dancing, and arts and crafts festivals). Additionally, a children’s play area should be considered as part of retail development. Figure 4 illustrates how this space could function as part of the overall development. (Additional farmers market information can be found in Appendix 9)

• Local farmers should be involved in the creation and operation of the market to ensure its long term success.
• The market and public space should be planned as a centrally located, multipurpose facility and managed by Knox County with the advisory board establishing operational requirements (in view of the multipurpose functions, the Parks and Recreation Department appears to be the proper entity to manage the facilities).
• Three elements should be included in the farmers market space: (1) local produce sales (2) resale product sales (this includes produce purchased from local or out-of-state producers — resale produce extends the seasons and the range of goods at the market) and (3) an expansion area that could house a permanent, climate-controlled building for the sale of perishables.
• An agreement should be made with the commercial developer to have shared parking, including the use of the recommended outlying, grassy pervious parking for special events.

Footpath and Greenway Trail Systems

• Footpaths should be unpaved and provide the opportunity to walk to and through such natural areas as forested ridges.
• Easements for a footpath and greenway trail should be created when redeveloping the Farmers Market property, forming a walking loop on the site. The footpath should run near the top of the ridge (see Figure 5).

• Greenways can be areas that are conserved as natural corridors. When greenway trails are created in Knox County, they are typically paved to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.
• A greenway trail should run parallel to Washington Pike, leading to the proposed Love’s Creek and Murphy Creek greenways and Babelay community park. The two systems should form a loop on the site and have the potential to be connected to other features such as McAnnalley Ridge and Love’s Creek.

Close to Home Parks

• Alice Bell area parks and open space: The existing Alice Bell/Richard Leake Park is almost totally designed for youth recreation (about 80 percent of its space is covered by fenced baseball fields which are not adaptable for other pastimes). In view of the area’s population, including many who live in attached housing and apartments, a wider range of recreation needs should be met. Open space and such facilities as walking trails/sidewalks, nicely landscaped areas with benches and children’s play areas should be within walking distance of Alice Bell area residents. Alternatives that should be further explored with area residents include open space to the southwest of the Washington Pike-Valley View intersection, the power line corridor as a footpath link to open spaces, a redesign of Alice Bell Recreation Center/Richard Leake Park to meet a wider variety of recreation needs while considering alternative sites to accommodate baseball play.
• The Babelay Road/Love Creek headwaters community park: A larger park (20 to 100 acres) that would support sport field development, particularly soccer fields, and informal recreation activities such as picnicking and kite flying, should be set aside in this vicinity. The future extension of Murphy Road would put the site in the center of this developing community. Additional facilities should be considered for this community resource such as a civic/recreation center. This concept was included in the recently completed Northeast County Sector Plan.

• Ritta Elementary School/neighborhood park: Five to ten acres of park land should be acquired adjacent to the school to better meet recreation and physical education needs. This proposal is part of the adopted Knox County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Facility Plan. Additional acreage might be considered for school expansion needs in view of potential population growth in the valley.
• While the number of softball and baseball fields meet recognized standards, there is a deficiency in soccer fields, which could be accommodated in a new community park.

Other Community Facilities

• A branch library: If a branch library is viewed as a long-term need in this general Washington Pike corridor (a decision that should be addressed as part of an overall library plan by the Library Board and County Commission), then a community park is the type of setting that was preferred as a library location by citizens who were involved in this study. Such a library could be freestanding within the park or incorporated into other civic building improvements.