Monday, Jan 24th, 2022, 7:00PM is an IMPORTANT county commission meeting. There are 3 rezonings on the agenda that could approve up to another 506 residential units in our community.
You’ve asked - here’s how you can get involved. Thanks to some great suggestions from attendees on our Zoom Sunday - we have SIGN-UP LISTS this time! Do the sign-up to let us, and your neighbors, know you are taking action to help our community!
FIRST - Sign up to let us know you are emailing and/or calling county commissioners before the meeting - target by Saturday, Jan 22nd
If their email box is overflowing and their phone is blowing up, they will pay attention
They need to hear from you about your genuine concerns. Make your stories personal. Tell them that their decisions impact you and have consequences on your life, your family, your kids, your community.
You can email them all at once - commission@knoxcounty.org or you can contact them individually (commissioner bios with emails and phone numbers)
Your District 6 Commissioner, Terry Hill, needs to hear from you. The At-Large Commissioners Larsen Jay and Justin Biggs also need to hear from you. But so do the other 8 commissioners, because it takes 6 votes for a motion to pass.
Signing Up doesn't send them an email - it just lets us know you are helping us. Don't forget to send an email and/or call!
SECOND - Sign Up to Attend the County Commission Meeting in-person on Jan 24 at 7PM
BUMS IN SEATS MATTER. The only way our voice is heard is if commissioners see a room full of people
We understand if you’re worried about or impacted by covid or illness - it may not be the best thing to attend in person. If so, then please see FIRST above and send emails!
If we only have 5-10 people show up, we won’t be heard. We need 50-100
The entire community only gets 5 minutes to speak on each issue - that’s 5 minutes total, not 5 minutes per person.There are 3 rezonings (Vinat Sharma 2106 Schaeffer Rd, Safe Harbor (Couch Mill), Ball Homes 2205 West Gallaher Ferry). We need 1-2 speakers for each of those items.
If you want to speak, it will help the community if you sign up and let us help coordinate who is speaking on each issue. Please email hvpa@kcpa.us to let us know you’d like to speak, and we’ll work with everybody to setup the speakers.
THIRD - Email this document to 5 of your neighbors and ask them to participate
FOURTH - Sign Up to Print and Distribute Flyers in your Neighborhood To Get this Word Out. We need 1 volunteer per area / subdivision / HOA. Flyer template here
FINALLY - Sign Up to Help Hardin Valley Planning Advocates! We need:
2 volunteers to review monthly agendas
4 volunteers to join our steering committee
2 volunteers to attend monthly county meetings
Volunteers to host an information meeting in your HOA or area
Talking Points
Be brief and polite. More than a page - won’t get read
Some respond to facts, some respond to stories / analogies
Make it personal. Tell how growth and inadequate schools, roads, sidewalks, parks, service impact your quality of life
Ask them what their plan is to fund the roads, school expansions, parks. What land are they going to build those on in the Valley?
Remind them that the County is behind on funding implementing improvements identified in the Northwest Sector Plan and Hardin Valley Mobility Plan
Ask this question: If we have almost 4,000 units in the pipeline - do we need more approved today?
This is the Message: “Your decisions have consequences”
The Request: that they take a 60 day pause to evaluate a funding and implementation plan for the existing needs of The Valley that need to be met before further development is approved
Use our Hardin Valley Background Sheet for full facts and figures, and slide from our Jan 2016 Zoom call
The most important ones are:
Transportation
We have a vision and plan - the Hardin Valley Mobility Plan, which identified $140-150 million of projects needed for existing conditions and projected future needs for 10 years of growth.
Now Year 2 after plan finished - only one project is underway ($200,000) - no other ones are budgeted
Knox County has $26 million unallocated budget for next 5 years for capital improvements for the entire county, against $141 million in needs in just Hardin Valley
The issue is the plan hasn't been funded and the county elected officials are not being held accountable for funding and execution of the plan.
Community Facilities
Behind on acquiring land for Hardin Valley Community Park. Need the land now and the park and community center now.
Schools
Currently 610 students over capacity. With current pipeline, could increase to 2,100 students over capacity in 5-8 years.
Housing
In HV up to 3,995 units already approved by Co Comm or being built
