Design Review Board backs option to allow board review before limiting fiber‑cement use in Downtown Edge

On June 17 the Knoxville Design Review Board recommended a staged approach to restricting facade materials in the Downtown Edge (DK) subdistrict, asking staff to pursue an amendment that would add fiber‑cement to the list of materials limited to 25% of a street‑facing facade while preserving a process for projects to request board approval to exceed that limit.

Melinda Ward, planner with Knoxville/Knox County Planning, presented two options: add fiber cement to the list of restricted materials without creating a local review path (Option One), or add the material but allow DK projects to undergo the same downtown design‑review process used in adjacent downtown subdistricts to request more than 25% (Option Two). Ward explained that amending the zoning code is a broader, citywide action and recommended remanding details to staff for further vetting and stakeholder outreach.

Board members raised concerns about rollout and vested projects. Mike Reynolds, Knoxville/Knox County Planning, said, “The more you can educate people before you make an amendment, the better,” urging a clear public notice and a grace period for projects already in active design or permit review. Several members pressed for a timeline and a plan to identify stakeholders and ensure the change would be implemented transparently.

The board discussed interpretation challenges in the current guidelines and the role of the design‑review overlay; members noted that the DK subdistrict is a transitional, bridge area between downtown and adjacent smaller‑scale neighborhoods. Several members favored Option Two because it preserves the ability for staff and the board to consider context and grant exceptions where a compelling design justification exists.

After discussion the board voted to recommend Option Two to staff — that is, to add fiber cement to the list of restricted materials for street‑facing facades in DK while creating a pathway for DK projects to seek downtown design review board approval to exceed the 25% limit. The motion also requested that staff provide an update at the board's next meeting and outline a stakeholder outreach plan and a proposed timeline for further review.

What happens next: staff will coordinate outreach with planning colleagues and return to the board with draft language and a stakeholder communication plan at the next meeting. Any subsequent change to the zoning code would also require review by the planning commission and city council, and staff noted that completed, vested applications would not be retroactively affected.