Community Facilities and Utilities

Map 5: Existing Community Resources

Map 6: Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement

Northwest County residents have a wide range of school, library, and recreational resources available. The greatest potential for new public facilities in the Northwest County Sector consist of greenway and park developments proposed by the Knox County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Knox County Greenways Coalition. Further development of existing county resources and the success of new development proposals lies in the ability of county agencies to leverage local, state, and federal funds. Community involvement provides a significant source of energy and inspiration in creating new parks and other community facilities.

Libraries
Four branch libraries of the Knox County Library System currently serve the sector. Two of the four are located within the sector—Karns and Cedar Bluff branch libraries. The Karns branch contains 8,600 square feet and a collection of 26,900 books. The five-year-old Cedar Bluff branch contains 14,000 square feet with a collection of 75,000 books. The branch libraries located in Powell and Farragut are located outside the sector, but serve many of the Northwest County residents. Those branches have collections of 40,000 and 65,000 books respectively.

Pellissippi State Technical Community College has a 40,000-square-foot library with 35,000 titles that is used primarily by faculty and students.

As the population increases within this area, the need for an additional branch library will also increase. Several factors influence the location of a future branch library including existing branch locations, a desirable service radius and accessibility based on topography and roadways. The location of a future branch can be anticipated west of Pellissippi Parkway and north of Beaver Ridge. A new library that will serve Powell-area residents is also needed.

The new library in Karns offers residents access to written
and electronic information.

Several elementary, primary, and intermediate schools serve this sector.

Schools
Public education is provided by the Knox County Board of Education. Many of the schools that serve the sector’s children lie outside the sector boundaries. In addition to the public schools, four of the county’s larger private middle and high schools are located in the sector.

Elementary, Primary and Intermediate Schools
Elementary-age children may attend primary schools for classes K-3, intermediate schools for classes 4 and 5 or elementary schools for classes K-5. A total of thirteen public schools serve elementary-age children living in this sector. Six of these schools are located inside the sector: Ball Camp Elementary, Cedar Bluff Primary, Cedar Bluff Intermediate, Hardin Valley Elementary, Karns Primary and Karns Intermediate. Cedar Bluff Primary and Cedar Bluff Intermediate have capacity problems with temporary classrooms set up to meet their needs. Plans to build a new primary school in the Cedar Bluff area are underway. Renovations to add more classrooms to Cedar Bluff Intermediate are scheduled for 2005.

Schools that are located south and east of the sector serve children residing on the fringes of the sector: Bearden Elementary, Farragut Primary, Farragut Intermediate, Pleasant Ridge Elementary, Pond Gap Elementary, Powell Elementary, Ridgedale Elementary and West Hill Elementary. All of these schools currently rely on temporary classrooms to meet their enrollment needs.

Middle Schools
Cedar Bluff and Karns Middle Schools are located in the sector. Both schools are near capacity. Cedar Bluff is currently using two temporary classrooms. Plans to convert Cedar Bluff from an open class room facility to enclosed classrooms are scheduled.

Bearden, Farragut, Northwest and Powell are the other middle schools serving children in the sector. Of these middle schools, Powell is the only one currently experiencing capacity problems, having to depend on 12 temporary classrooms.

High Schools
Karns High School is located near the center of the sector and serves the majority of high school-age children attending public school. Four additional high schools located outside the sector to the south and east serve children living near the edges of the sector. These include Bearden, Farragut, Powell and West high schools. Bearden and Farragut are near capacity. Both of these schools are using temporary classroom to meet their needs.

Private Schools
Knox County has several private schools. Four of the larger ones are located in this sector. These include Christian Academy of Knoxville, Episcopal School of Knoxville, Webb School and Knoxville Catholic High School.

Future Needs
Because school services overlap sectors, the expansion or construction of facilities in any sector will help solve the overall capacity problems throughout the school system by shifting students to schools that can meet enrollment needs. The addition of a new high school in the western portion of the county is needed to alleviate anticipated capacity problems at Bearden and Farragut high schools and serve new neighborhoods that will be created.

Historic Resources
This was predominantly a rural area that included large farms and farm houses. The remaining historical resources include the following:

Fox-Duncan House
3610 Copper Ridge Road
This house is a two-story brick with a one-story rear ell, East Tennessee vernacular in style with Federal influences, built by August A. Fox. The house’s significance is tied to early settlement patterns with elaborate carving and cabinet work throughout its interior.

7121 Harrell Road
This white frame four-square house features interior stenciling and faux painting.

Lockhart Place
2516 Gray Hendrix Road
An early log house is now encapsulated in a two-story frame East Tennessee vernacular with Neoclassical detailing. Two outbuildings are built of railroad ties with Tudor Revival stylistic influences.

Gallaher Ferry House
12719 Manning Lane
East Tennessee vernacular styling with Italianate influenced details mark this two-story frame house with a two-story balcony which illustrates early transportation.

Masonic Temple-Church
3800 Copper Ridge Road
This brick Victorian vernacular building is significant for its architecture and historical associations.

Thomas Walker House
This two story Federal house built by Thomas Walker is significant for its detail, architecture, and representation of early settlement patterns.

Parks, Greenways and Community Centers

Neighborhood Parks

In suburban areas, neighborhood parks generally serve residents within a half-mile radius. Primary and middle schools within the Ball Camp and Karns neighborhoods are providing recreational facilities to those area residents. As the residential population increases in areas west of Pellissippi Parkway, there will be a need for additional neighborhood parks in that portion of the sector.

Community Parks

Community parks are usually over twenty acres in size and serve a three-mile radius. These parks have open space in addition to athletic fields and playground facilities. Ball Camp Park is adjacent to Nicholas Ball Park. All the community parks in the sector are located east of the Pellissippi Parkway, which is the most densely populated area of the sector. The area around Harper’s Cave is currently under consideration for potential park use.

District Parks

District parks are generally over 100 acres providing recreational facilities to countywide residents. Activities such as boating, picnicking and nature study are popular in this type of park. Currently, Melton Hill Park, located along the Clinch River, is the only district park in the sector. Access to this park is via Coward Mill Road, a narrow residential road. Victor Ashe Park, located just outside the boundaries, also serves this sector.

Community Centers

Of the three community centers in this sector, only Melton Hill Community Center is owned by Knox County. The Ball Camp and Karns community centers are owned by community groups. These centers in Ball Camp and Karns both have swimming pools. Community centers provide year-round recreation with indoor facilities, as well as meeting space.

Athletic Fields

County owned and privately owned parks, athletic fields, and school properties provide space for soccer, softball, baseball, basketball, football and tennis. Most of these facilities are located in the eastern two-thirds of the sector where there is the greatest residential density. Northwest Sports Complex and Meadow Creek soccer fields are the newest acquisitions under this category; development of these fields is anticipated by 2005.

Special Use Parks

Special use parks are generally areas used for a single purpose. Both Dead Horse Lake Golf Course and Knoxville Golf Course are located within this sector. While the recommended service for golf courses is one-half hour driving time, residents living in this sector can access facilities for this sport in a very short drive time.

Greenways

Greenways and paved trails provide the user a place to walk, jog, or bike in a safe environment. Greenways can protect streams and ridgetops from unsuitable development. They can link together parks and other community facilities, while also providing safe and alternative means of transportation. Numerous greenways are proposed to run throughout the sector along portions of Beaver Creek, Conner Creek, Hickory Creek and Ten-Mile Creek.

Source: MPC Knox County Parks and Recreation Facility Plan, 1998

Community parks are a vital resource of the communities they serve.

The viewsheds of this area are important assets and should be conserved.

Community centers provide year-round activities for residents in this area.

Athletic fields offer great areas for exercise and recreation.

This area is well served by two golf courses located within this sector.

The Pellissippi Greenway runs parallel with the parkway, offering residents a 1.5-mile paved trail for exercise.

Utilities

Sewer, Septic and Water

Water Service
Four different utility companies provide sewer and water service in this sector. West Knox Utility District provides service to the majority of the sector. Hallsdale-Dale Powell Utility District provides service in the northeastern portion of the sector while Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) provides service in the southwestern part of the sector. First Utilities District provides service to a small area east of Pellissippi Parkway and south of Yarnell Road. Public water is available to all residents through various utilities. Most of the waterlines throughout the sector are six and eight inches, which in addition to providing drinking water, provide adequate water pressure for fire-fighting purposes. The small percentages of original two-inch lines that are still in use by West Knox Utility customers are being upgraded over time. First Utility District’s two-inch lines are not used for fire-fighting purposes, but only to distribute water to the end of cul-de-sacs. A few residents in the Ball Camp area are served with two-inch lines, which KUB will replace if residents offset the cost.

Sanitary Sewer Service
Sanitary sewer service is available to over half of this sector. The provision of such service is a major factor in suburban growth. West Knox Utilities District provides service to the largest percentage of customers. With the exception of a few small areas in Ball Camp and Solway, all the properties east of Pellissippi Parkway have sewer service available. Service has recently been extended west of the parkway along Hardin Valley Road. Hallsdale-Powell Utility District and KUB provide service to properties located in the eastern part of the sector. First Utility District services a small area west of Pellissippi Parkway and south of Yarnell Road. Rural residential areas located mostly in the western part of the sector rely on septic systems.

Natural Gas
KUB provides natural gas to about one-third of the sector. Most of the gas service is south of Hardin Valley Road and Ball Camp Pike and east of Pellissippi Parkway. The businesses and residents in the Lovell Road area west of Pellissippi also have natural gas service available.

Electricity
KUB and Lenoir City Utilities Board provide electricity throughout the sector. Lenoir City Utilities Board provides service to the western part of the sector while KUB serves the eastern portion.

Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement
Karns Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD), Rural Metro and the City of Knoxville Fire Department provide fire protection for the Northwest County Sector. KVFD, the primary fire fighting service for the sector, operates four stations. Station 1 is located in the center of Karns, serving residents north of Beaver Ridge. Station 2 is located on Hardin Valley Road west of Pellissippi Parkway. Plans to renovate this station are underway. Station 3 is located on Guinn Road and provides service to residents in the northern most portions of the sector. Station 4 is located south of Beaver Ridge to serve residents in the Ball Camp area. KVFD has plans to purchase an additional truck that will be housed in Station 1. The department has only two full-time employees and predominantly depends on volunteer services and local donations. The KVFD continues to develop a long-range fire protection plan for Northwest Knox County.

Rural Metro and the City of Knoxville serve the southern and eastern portions of the sector. With the exception of the Rural Metro Station located just north of Cedar Bluff, their other stations that serve the area are located outside the sector’s boundaries. Rural Metro and KVFD maintain reciprocal mutual aid agreements to assist each other. City stations #20 and #21, located just outside the sector, provide service to portions of Cedar Bluff and Pellissippi Parkway.

Ambulance service is provided by Rural Metro from Stations 10 and 11. KVFD serves as a “first response” in medical emergencies but depends on Rural Metro to provide ambulance transportation. Park West Hospital, located on Park West Boulevard, is the closest emergency room serving the sector. Baptist Hospital to the south and Oak Ridge Hospital to the north could also serve sector residents. Rural Metro works with Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad in complicated rescue situations.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Department, the Knoxville Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol serve this sector. The majority of the area falls under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s Beat 404 encompasses the northern half of the sector while Beat 402 covers most of the southern half. Two or more patrol cars are assigned to those beats at all times. Along the southern and eastern fringes of the sector, Knoxville Police Department has jurisdiction. The areas are covered under several beats including 75, 85, 86, 87, 91, and 93. In addition to patrol officers, the city provides a crime protection specialist and special teams when needed.

State-maintained traffic routes including Pellissippi Parkway and I-40/75 are patrolled additionally by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. They assist the Sheriff’s Department and the City’s Police Department with traffic enforcement and accident investigations along these roads.