Mayor Jacobs Announces Efforts to Update the County General Plan

Press Release:

Knoxville, Tenn.— Today, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced the start of a formal process that will result in the completion of a comprehensive update to the General Plan, which has formed the framework for the way Knox County has grown over the last 20 years.

Knox County will begin the selection process for a consultant to develop a grand vision for our community’s growth through 2045. The consultant will work with Knox County and Knoxville-Knox County Planning and conduct extensive public outreach and engagement efforts in order to solicit valuable citizen input. Once the consultant begins work, the entire process is expected to take approximately 18 months.

Through a cost effective and transparent process, the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan will address taxpayer concerns about how growth is impacting infrastructure. Unlike previous General Plans, it will also incorporate an in-depth analysis of the safety, capacity, and multi-modal access of our transportation network. The project will be partially funded using federal transportation dollars, which reduces the financial outlay from the County and makes this a smart investment in the future of Knox County.

“I am excited to be officially starting this process,” said Mayor Jacobs. “Smart growth and infrastructure maintenance is important and the fact that we can do both of those things in a fiscally conservative way makes it all the better.”

The final plan will analyze population growth projections, land availability, and infrastructure conditions to identify areas of Knox County that should be preserved and areas that are appropriate for new growth and investment.

As per the TDOT/FHWA Local Programs Development Office requirements, Knox County will be using a two-step qualifying process for all prospective consulting firms. The first step, the information needed for a Letter of Interest (LOI), will be released by Knox County Procurement

with a deadline for response of June 24, 2021.