Matthew DeBardelaben had a 1-hour conversation with the lead planner from Perez Planning + Design. He says he was impressed with the rigor of the study and is excited about the future of Knoxville’s indoor and outdoor spaces.
At first glance the 224 -page plan is overwhelming. DeBardelaben would like to offer some suggestions on how to digest it.
- The plan is designed to develop a framework that leads to the next level of discussion and be a tool to help City staff address these improvements over time. The key words are framework and tool.
- The plan is a requirement by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), to secure state funding. We need that funding.
- The plan includes a list of private, State, and Federal grants that the City can apply for (pages 204 – 208).
- The plan includes criteria that a City Capital Projects Committee would use to determine what to recommend we build/repair/remodel/acquire next (pages 212 – 217).
- I found it useful to review the results of the study with a grasp of page 199, which contains the proposed vision legend for the entire city. Where are basketball courts recommended? Tennis courts? Playgrounds? Etc.
- I then went back to the pages that rate the conditions of each category under the Parks and Rec umbrella—
- Indoor Centers (page 163)
- Walking Loops (page 167)
- Natural Areas (page 171)
- Water Access (page 172)
- Parks (page 175)
- Pools (page 177)
- -Basketball Courts (page 178)
- Diamond Fields (page 179)
- Dog Parks (page 180)
- Outdoor Fitness Stations (page 181)
- Outdoor Pools and Swimming Areas (page 182)
- Playgrounds (page 183)
- Pickleball Courts (page 184)
- Rectangle Fields (page 185)
- Splash Pads (page 186)
- Tennis Courts (page 187)
- Hiking Trails (page 188)
- Mountain Bike Trails (page 189)
- Expanded Greenways (page 190)
- I encourage you to provide thoughtful and positive feedback by the March 17th City Council vote.
Here is the link to the study https://playknoxvilletn.com/ and the link to provide input https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=109562&pageId=20766455.
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Future needs, as people lose jobs and work days are shortened, where will these amenities be located and what amenities will be needed in order to maintain a healthy community? A community which can develop into a burden on our health systems as we see today in our homeless citizens. The face of these areas need to change in character away from the underused passive parks we see today in our city.