Community Coming Together to Discuss the John Sevier Scenic Highway Corridor

A local stakeholder group has formed to talk about the future of the John Sevier Scenic Highway.

They will hold their first community meeting to discuss recommendations for protecting the rural, scenic character of the corridor. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, at SoKno Market at 2014 W. Governor John Sevier Highway. The presentation will be followed by an open house.

Topics covered at the meeting will include:

  • The existing designation of Governor John Sevier Highway as a State of Tennessee Scenic Highway and Parkway,
  • Historic resources and rural character preservation tools,
  • Assessment and options for current zoning, and
  • Assets and opportunities along the corridor using an interactive map.

"Governor John Sevier Scenic Highway runs the length of South and East Knox County. It's an asset to the community and has been designated a scenic highway by the State of Tennessee since 1971. Growth and development is changing the rural character of the highway.

"Concerned residents have requested that the County look at various tools to preserve the scenic, rural character of the corridor as the population continues to grow," said Knox County Commissioner Carson Dailey. 

Dailey is leading this effort with the support of 18 stakeholder committee members. The committee began meeting in September of 2017 to discuss challenges and opportunities for future growth in the corridor. They are now reviewing recommendations, and feedback from the larger community is needed to assess the feasibility of these ideas.

MPC staff is facilitating the study and community meetings. If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to submit comments, please contact Liz Albertson at liz.albertson@knoxmpc.org or 865-215-3804. For more information about the study, visit the corridor study page.