KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A project meant to provide affordable housing for people in West Knox County was pulled from the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission agenda following protests.
The development would have provided 56 affordable townhomes with plans for a clubhouse and playground off Northshore Dr. across 14 two-story buildings, according to documents filed with the Planning Commission. The development request was filed on Aug. 1, and it was expected to be discussed on Sept. 14.
Ahead of that meeting, groups protested the development.
"I'm a little concerned that this thing was fast-tracked in front of us, without a lot of public or almost no public input. And to be honest with you, I don't, on the face value of this project, I don't see anything positive," said Rob Lynch, who attended one of the protests.
The townhomes would have been built around a mile southwest of Concord Park, according to documents filed with the Planning Commission. It's described as a suburban area with mostly single-family, detached houses and a commercial node to the south, at the Choto Rd. and S Northshore Dr. intersection.
"This community I moved here for all the positive values that this community offers," added Lynch. "It's basically single-family homes that have been built over the last several decades. We've got beautiful parks, wonderful walkways, and to throw in a project like this just doesn't make sense to the congruity of the community."
Misty Goodwin, the social services director with the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, said the project could have provided affordable housing during a time when rent prices continue to rise in the city.
According to East Tennessee Realtors, Knoxville-area rent prices soared by eight times the national rate compared to July 2022.
"Affordable housing in Knoxville is really becoming sort of a necessary need for, not only low-income families, but just median-income families," said Goodwin. "One of the things I hate as a director is to have to say to a family, 'You've got to move your kids out of their school system to somewhere more affordable.' And so the idea is if you have affordable housing located throughout Knoxville in all of the different areas, that becomes less of a need to have to pull your kids out of school and move somewhere else and have them start over."
The group behind the project, the Dominion Group, released a statement about their decision to pull the project. That statement is available below.
"Dominion Group has decided not to further pursue the development previously planned for the Choto community. We are evaluating possible alternate sites that are in high opportunity areas offering access to quality amenities and education that will facilitate economic mobility for residents."
According to Planning Commission documents, the request to pull the project was sent Tuesday morning.