Land Use and Development Land use varies according to location, availability of infrastructure, and development constraints. As land uses change, the surrounding lands will reflect these changes by adopting similar or complementary land uses. MPC encourages the consistent development of land by creating comprehensive land use plans as a guide for development. These plans, revised every five years, propose land uses for every parcel in Knox County. An additional component effecting land use in Knox County resulted from the adoption of a growth plan in early 2001.

Land Use Comparison by Acreage Existing,
1995 Proposed, and Zoning

Source for Existing Land Use: MPC, November 2000
Source for Proposed Land Use: MPC, May 1995
Source for Zoning: MPC, April 2001

The Growth Plan adopted by the City of Knoxville, Knox County, and the Town of Farragut sets out areas for growth in the city and county as well as areas that are intended as rural reserves (rural areas). In the county, higher intensity urban growth may take place within planned growth boundaries. In the city, higher intensity urban growth may take place within urban growth boundaries. Remaining are generally limited to rural residential land uses.

Though much of the South County Sector is within the Rural Area, there are significant areas of planned growth along Governor John Sevier Highway between Alcoa Highway and Chapman Highway. Areas that are within the growth boundaries are not subject to land use controls other than zoning, which is partly determined by the proposed land use. Availability of infrastructure such as sewer, water, and roads increase the development potential for land within the planned growth areas. For a detailed map of the growth boundaries in the South County Sector, see the Growth Plan Boundaries Map.

Land Use Definitions

Existing Land Use is defined as the current land use of a parcel as determined by the tax assessor. For instance, if a 10-acre parcel has an old farmhouse that is not being used as a home, it will be classified as agricultural, even though it has a residential structure. If that parcel were to be subdivided into 1 acre home sites, it would become a rural residential land use.

Proposed Land Use is defined as the categorization of land uses that is determined during the sector planning process. Proposed land use does not necessarily conform to existing land use or zoning. Proposed land use designations are used by MPC to make zoning and subdivision decisions.

Zoning is defined as the allowable land use(s) for a parcel. Zoning is permanently attached to a parcel and can only be changed with the approval of the Knox County Commission or the Knoxville City Council.

Note: It is not unusual to have varying acreage between these categories, since all three land designations are in constant flux.

1995 Proposed Land Use by Acreage and Percentage
View Map

Source: MPC, May 1995

Agricultural land uses continue to dominate development patterns in the South County (59.5%)

Office uses remain a small component of land use in the South County with fewer that 100 acres of office uses. The acreage zoned for office uses is just under 200 acres, on par with the 227 acres proposed as office in the 1995 plan.

Based on community input during the 1995 South County Sector planning process, the rural nature of the sector was to be preserved by limiting the development of higher intensity land uses. These limitations are evidenced by the large number of acres proposed as Agricultural/Rural Residential (37.7%), Slope Protection (21.3%), and Parks, Open Space, Public Institutional, and Water (8.4%).

Zoning
View Map

Source: MPC, April 2001

For the most part, existing land use in the South County Sector closely parallels zoning. There are a few exceptions, such as the industrially zoned parcels on Tipton Station Road just west of Martin Mill Pike and the industrial parcels along the south side of Maryville Pike, north of Maloney Road.

Commercially zoned properties are concentrated along the two main arterials: Alcoa Highway and Chapman Highway. As is common on underdeveloped arterials such as Chapman Highway, such properties often remain vacant until they can be made productive for commercial uses.

The average number of residential building permits increased by nearly 50% between the periods of 1981-1990 and 1991-2000. Continued strong growth of residential construction would suggest that the South County Sector is being discovered by the development community.

Increases in the capacity of major arterials in the South County, such as the reconstruction of Alcoa Highway north of Maloney Road and the completion of the James White Parkway connection to Chapman Highway, will likely generate a new wave of commercial development.