Demolition guidelines addressed at downtown design meeting

By MIKE KRAFCIK 6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -Breathing new life into downtown Knoxville also means a balancing act - since it's home to so much history.

Sometimes those two ideas can leave people at odds over what's best for a project or a piece of property.

On Wednesday, the Downtown Design Review Board met to consider an amendment that addresses the demolition of buildings.

The proposed language would mandate that owners who demolish buildings should ensure that the remaining site is covered with vegetation and that fencing should be installed around vacant lots, including decorative fencing along sidewalks.

"It really doesn't do much to remove blight influences that vacant lots have in urban areas. That's a big component, but it's also a big stumbling block on how to implement that right now," said Mike Reynolds, Downtown Design Review board member.

Reynolds says issues were discussed at the meeting because he believes the board's role in the demolition process is vague and needs clarification.

A decision by St. John's Cathedral to demolish two buildings in the fall on Walnut Street sparked controversy.

Recently, the owners of the Pryor Brown Garage wanted to demolish that building and create surface parking until they could develop the site, but the Metropolitan Planning Commission denied a necessary rezoning request.

Attorneys for Pryor Brown on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against city council because the body did not vote on the appeal.

See the rest here:
Demolition guidelines addressed at downtown design meeting