Planning staff back ordinance change to match state’s longer public‑notice window

Director Amy Brooks previewed a proposed city amendment to align Knoxville’s public‑notice timeline for zoning ordinance changes with a recent state law and presented staff’s plan for outreach. "I think by midnight today is when that survey will close," Brooks said, referring to an active online survey on the Unified Development Ordinance that staff will continue to accept feedback on beyond the survey deadline.

Planner Ms. Portier told commissioners the change would alter Article 15.2.B of the city zoning code, replacing the current 15‑day notice requirement with 21 days for text amendments, rezonings and zoning map amendments. "That's the only change," she said, noting the proposed amendment modifies only the notice period in the code and parallel administrative rules.

Ms. Portier also cautioned that another bill pending in the state legislature could change the requirement again — proposing a shorter notice window of 14 days — so the county amendments are being held until the state’s final position is known. Commissioners asked whether mail postcards and onsite signs would be shifted to match a 21‑day timeline; Portier said postcards and signs are currently distributed 12 days before hearings under existing administrative rules and staff are not proposing to change how those notices are routed at this time.

Why it matters: public‑notice timing determines how much advance notice property owners and neighbors receive before hearings on rezonings or text amendments. Staff framed the amendment as an alignment with state law while flagging that pending state legislation could require further changes.

What happens next: staff will bring the proposed ordinance language and matching administrative rule amendments forward for formal consideration. If the state’s proposed change to 14 days proceeds, staff signaled additional amendments could follow.