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Article 14 Landscaping, Buffering, and Screening - Knox County UDO Community Review Survey
As part of the Knox County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update, we are seeking feedback on development design standards pertaining to parking, signage, landscaping, open space, and resource protection. Your input will help us refine these regulations to better serve Knox County's needs. Please review the key concepts below and share your thoughts. Each article has its own survey component, allowing you to focus on content that is of most interest to you – take one survey or all as time and interest allows. The survey portal will be open for two weeks, beginning July 29th.
You can view the full
Article 14 Landscaping, Buffering, and Screening here!
1.
Native and Adapted Plant Species
To reduce water consumption and maintain the local character of the landscape, the proposed regulations require that a minimum of 40% of the required landscaped area on a site consist of native plant materials or xeriscaping (landscaping designed to thrive without additional watering beyond natural rainfall). Furthermore, at least 60% of all trees and shrubs used for required screening and buffers must be native species.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
2.
Parking Lot Landscaping and Stormwater Integration
The draft introduces updated standards for landscaping in and around surface parking lots. It requires a landscaped perimeter yard along the boundary of surface parking lots and interior landscape islands at the end of each parking row (with no more than a set number of contiguous spaces without an island). Additionally, the regulations encourage designing these landscaped areas to receive and treat stormwater runoff, allowing curb cuts so rainwater can flow into the islands rather than directly into the storm sewer system.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
3.
Buffering Between Incompatible Uses
To mitigate potential conflicts between different types of land uses, the draft requires non-residential and mixed-use developments to provide a buffer yard when they abut a residential zoning district or an existing residential use. These buffers range in depth and planting density (Types A, B, and C) depending on the intensity of the proposed development. The regulations also allow existing healthy, mature vegetation to be preserved and credited toward meeting these buffer requirements.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
4.
Screening of Service Areas and Equipment
The draft requires specific site features to be screened from view from public rights-of-way and adjacent residential areas using an opaque fence, masonry wall, dense evergreen hedge, or a combination thereof. This applies to outdoor storage areas, loading docks, dumpsters, drive-through lanes, and both ground-mounted and roof-mounted mechanical equipment.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
5.
Credits for Preserving Existing Trees
The preservation of existing healthy trees and native woodlands is encouraged in the new regulations. To incentivize this, existing trees that are protected during construction may be credited toward the minimum planting requirements at a 2:1 ratio (meaning each preserved tree counts as two new trees). However, invasive species like the Bradford Pear and Silver Maple are explicitly excluded from receiving this credit.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
6.
Topography and Karst Geology Considerations
Given Knox County's distinct topography, the draft includes specific landscaping standards for challenging terrain. On steep slopes (greater than 15%) and designated ridges, landscape plans must prioritize preserving native vegetation and stabilizing disturbed areas with deep-rooting native plants. In areas with karst geology (such as sinkholes), landscaping must facilitate natural stormwater infiltration, and planting trees directly over known cave systems or sinkhole throats is prohibited to prevent ground disturbance.
What feedback do you have on this proposed approach? Please tell us what you support, what concerns you have, and any changes you would recommend.
7.
Are there any additional comments you would like to share regarding Article 14?
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey!
