5 things to know about Farragut's consequential Advance Knox vote

Knox County's years-long process to create a growth plan that will guide development over the next two decades will face one of its final hurdles this week. The Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen is voting on Advance Knox on March 28.

The board will take the last vote on the Growth Policy Plan, the portion of Advance Knox that gives a broad sense of which parts of the county are primed for development and which should be left rural.

If the Farragut board approves the plan, Advance Knox will have one last vote and then it will guide development for the next 20 years.

But if the board denies the plan, Advance Knox would effectively die, or at least be put on pause, and the outdated plan would remain in place.

Although Farragut voters have signaled some hesitation by choosing an antidevelopment Knox County Commission candidate on the Republican side, county leaders anticipate the board will approve the plan.

Here's what to know about the plan, and what it all means, especially ahead of Farragut's critical decision.

Will the board vote Advance Knox down?

There's a general sense the board will approve the plan, but Vice Mayor Louise Povlin and Aldermen Scott Meyer, Drew Burnette and David White declined to comment to Knox News about the upcoming vote.

Mayor Ron Williams said that while Advance Knox is a priority for Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and his staff, it's not front and center for him.

"There's more things going on in our town than (Advance Knox). ... I'm worried about what's going on in my town," he said.

The board has favored development in the past and is welcoming a new town center with a Chase Bank and Tupelo Honey restaurant.

What does Advance Knox mean to Farragut?

The town of Farragut isn't directly impacted because the Advance Knox policies apply to the unincorporated county.

However, Farragut is surrounded by unincorporated county land. Condensing new development out in east Knox County rather than all on the west side could mean fewer people traveling through Farragut to get across the county.

Williams doesn't anticipate a huge impact on his town from Advance Knox. He's more concerned about incoming traffic from neighboring Loudon County.

What happens next for Advance Knox?

If the plan is denied, the county will continue to use outdated policies unless Jacobs decides to retool the plan or the decision is appealed.

Jacobs could reconvene the Growth Policy Coordinating Committee to create a new plan that would have to once again be approved by the Knox County Commission, Knoxville City Council and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Jacobs has been steadfast in saying he won't reconvene the committee. When asked what he would do if the plan were denied, Jacobs said he didn't want to speculate and that would be "a question for another day."

If approved, the Growth Policy Plan will have passed its final vote.

The final adoption of the Growth Policy Plan is contingent on the Knox County Commission approving the Future Land Use Map, which specifies which development types - such as town centers, subdivisions and businesses - could be built in certain areas.

The Knox County Commission will vote at the April 22 meeting. If approved, everything will take effect on May 1.

The Growth Policy Plan is intended to make development in the county less lopsided by condensing growth in different areas that can accommodate development.

The plan also includes rules for how much can be built in rural zones, including reducing the number of homes allowed per acre from three to two.

Can the vote be appealed?

No matter which way the Farragut board votes, its decision can be appealed.

An appeal would be heard without a jury and the petitioner would have the burden of proving the decision was incorrect. A petitioner has 60 days to appeal after the decision of Farragut or the other bodies that voted on the plan.

How do Farragut voters feel about development?

Residents of the commission's 5th District - the portion that covers the far-west communities of Farragut and Concord - have shown how they feel about development, and it doesn't look favorable.

Angela Russell won the Republican Party's nomination in the March 5 five-way primary with nearly 48% of the vote.

Russell, who lives outside the town of Farragut, ran her campaign on the idea that development in the county needs to be stopped, or at least slowed. If she wins the general election in August, her hostility to development could threaten future projects throughout the whole county.

Even though Russell won't have a vote in whether Advance Knox is approved, Republicans' support of her signals their feelings on development moving forward.

She previously told Knox News she hadn't had much time to look over Advance Knox and she isn't sure exactly how it would impact Farragut. She's planning on sitting down with Povlin before the Farragut vote to talk more.

Russell said she went to public input meetings and watched a few of the Growth Policy Committee meetings.

She said overall, voters she talked to didn't feel like they knew what was going on with the plan.

No public input meetings were held in District 5 or Farragut, according to the Advance Knox website. Four virtual input meetings were held between March 29, 2022, and April 6, 2023. Public Input sessions were held from Feb. 24, 2022, to Jan. 10, 2024, when Jacobs recommended the plan.

You can find where your property lies on the Future Land Use Plan with Advance Knox's interactive map at advanceknox.org. Click on the "interactive map" button.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Farragut is about to vote on Advance Knox. Here are 5 things to know