PRESS
COVERAGE
Below
are links to just a few articles reporting news related
to the Raven Society found in The
Maryville-Alcoa Daily Times. See the Times on the web at http://www.thedailytimes.com:
Implementation of farmland plan discussed
Gerry Cohn brought a lot of ideas about preserving agricultural land to local
residents during a Wednesday workshop. Now comes the hard part putting them
into practice.
Date: 10/04/07
Public seminar on farmland preservation planned locally
Gerry Cohn, Southeast States Director of the American Farmland Trust, will
conduct a public seminar about steps other communities in the United States
have taken to protect farmland.
Date: 09/29/07
Residents discuss population gap at growth hearing
Blount County Planning Director John Lamb held the first of three public hearings
Tuesday to determine how the public thinks the county should deal with growth.
At least 24 people attended the session.
Date: 07/18/07
Daily Times corrects quote of Raven Society Chairperson
Date: 06/30/07
Lamb asked to draft proposal revising zoning regulations
The Blount County Planning Commission has asked Planning Director John Lamb
to draft a proposal to increase the allowable density of residential units
permitted in those portions of the R-1, Rural District, that lie within the
urban growth...
Date: 06/29/07
County Commission approves residential amendments
The Blount County Commission voted unanimously to approve two zoning amendments
Thursday that will allow construction of a high-density, multifamily residential
complex on William Blount Drive.
Date: 05/18/07
Planners back sports district
The Blount County Planning Commission is recommending the adoption of a revised "Sports
Complex District" zoning amendment with hard limits on the amount of commercial
and residential development allowed.
Date: 05/02/07
McCord's bill changes building height restrictions in Knox County
State Rep. Joe McCord, R-Maryville, is sponsoring a bill meant to change building
height restrictions on a single portion of Pellissippi Parkway in Knox County.
Date: 04/26/07
Will sports site score?
A proposed zoning amendment that would allow construction of a multimillion
dollars sports complex on U.S. 411 South could also alter the county's approach
to rural development.
Date: 04/10/07 | NEWS
Plan would change maximum combined building size limit
The Blount County Commission is considering whether to delete the maximum combined
building size limit for developments in Rural Arterial Commercial zones.
The changes will be considered for approval during a public hearing at 6:30
p.m.
Date: 04/09/07
Officials worry proposal would increase rural sprawl
A proposed zoning amendment that would more than double the amount of homes
allowed to be built in rural Blount County is drawing criticism from the
community and government officials.
Date: 04/08/07
Proposal would allow larger apartment complexes in county
A proposed zoning amendment that would allow a high-density apartment complex
to be built on William Blount Drive will allow the county to benefit from
increased tax revenues, advocates say.
Date: 04/07/07
'Tweaking the regulations': Commission to consider building-height changes
The Blount County Commission will consider allowing three-story structures
to be built in the county's Suburbanizing and Commercial zoning districts.
Date: 04/06/07
Planners want healthy growth for land, residents
Urban sprawl isn't the only planning concern in Blount County and the rest
of East Tennessee. These days, government officials worry about sprawling
waistlines, too.
Date: 03/30/07
Hord: County must deal with effects of any rezoning changes
Blount County Director of Schools Alvin Hord can't say with certainty how many
new students would be added to county schools by proposed zoning changes.
Date: 03/29/07
Zoning changes face scrutiny
Everyone supports smart growth. Not everyone agrees what that is. The Blount
County Commission is divided about the potential effects of proposed zoning
amendments that will be discussed during an April 10 public hearing.
Date: 03/28/07
Planners recommend steps to relax zoning
The Blount County Planning Commission is recommending the approval of several
amendments that would relax current zoning regulations. The recommendations
came despite public comments against the measures at the Planning Commission's
Thursday meeting.
Date: 02/23/07
County planners to consider looser zoning
Several amendments to relax zoning regulations are on tap for the Blount County
Planning Commission today, but a citizens group contends the proposals are
for private gain rather than the public good.
Date: 02/22/07
Preserving Blount's heritage: Area organizations arise to protect historical
qualities
As Blount County grows, several community organizations have arisen to help
protect its rural character. The Raven Society, a political action committee,
is one of these.
Date: 02/17/07
'Smart growth' on Raven agenda
The Raven Society political action committee will continue promoting the concept
of 'smart growth' during 2007.
Date: 01/30/07
Raven Society meets Sunday
The annual meeting of The Raven Society will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the
Blount County Public Library. The featured speaker will be Joel Haden, a
projects manager at the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Date: 01/26/07
Commission
approves Top of the World rezonings By Lesli Bales-Sherrod
Small lots at Top of the World were rezoned from R-2 to R-1 Thursday after
the Blount County Commission heard differing opinions from the chairman of
the Raven Society and the director of the Planning Department.
Date: 04/21/06
Raven Society reviews county growth strategies
Kim Soltero looked from her Jericho Road home one day to the Chilhowee Mountains
and saw something that concerned her.
Date: 03/06/06
Group holds seminar on running for office
County spending and taxation prompted Mark Elmy, 25, to start thinking about
running for a seat on the Blount County Commission.
Date: 10/31/05
Marrison, Graham withdraw candidacy for BZA
The Blount County Commission had two choices for the Board of Zoning Appeals:
the outgoing chairman of the board or one of their own recommended by the
Intergovernmental Committee.
Date: 08/18/05
Getting in touch: Woman aids group in connecting with politicians
When Kathleen Williams first started working with the Tennessee Recreation
and Parks Association, she noticed the association hadn't been able to get
any bills passed in almost 40 years.
Date: 01/31/05
Committee asks for review of zoning action
A controversial rezoning will be reviewed by the county attorney, the Blount
County Intergovernmental Committee decided Tuesday night.
Date: 01/12/05
Raven Society backs McDonald as planner
The Raven Society wants to keep Carl McDonald, the city of Maryville representative
on the Blount County Planning Commission, on board.
Date: 12/24/04
Murphy rezoning on agenda
One U.S. 411 South property that Blount County Commissioners approved for rezoning
to commercial use will be challenged at Thursday's commission meeting.
Date: 12/15/04
Wheel tax deferred
The wheel tax seemed to have momentum Thursday, enough for the Blount County
Commission to pass it on first reading.
Date: 10/22/04
Mayor"s
dealings with choice for planning post raises concerns
Blount County Mayor Beverley Woodruff is selling her Friendsville home, and
the Maryville branch of the company handling the sale is managed by Pat McGill,
who Woodruff recommended for a county Planning Commission seat.
Date: 10/21/04
Forum lets candidates speak to public
Getting money for new schools and adequately funding the school system topped
the issues discussed Monday night at a Blount County Board of Education candidate
forum sponsored by the Raven Society.
Date: 07/13/04
County
holds growth forum; residents" questions run the gamut
Protect the Little River Watershed. Consider the shape of county roads and
schools. Preserve our open spaces. And how fast are we growing anyway?
Date: 07/01/04
Ravens raise awareness of Southern Bypass
Right now, it's lines on a map, a dotted loop running from East Lamar Alexander
Parkway to Topside Road.
Date: 02/01/04
Planning commissioners support revised commercial zoning regulations
After seven months of debate, Blount County planning commissioners recommended
a proposed revision of the county's Rural Arterial Commercial (RAC) zone.
Date: 11/26/03
Citizens apprise landowners of proposed road
In a convenient-store parking lot at the intersection of Topside Road and Alcoa
Highway, William "Booty" Miller reviewed destinations and rules
for the walk, handwritten on a big white writing tablet.
Date: 11/02/03
Rezoning requests deferred
Blount County Planning Commissioner Gail Harris' last meeting promised no shortage
of action.
Date: 10/24/03
Raven Society sponsors hike
The Raven Society is sponsoring a hiking tour of Kyker Bottoms Wildlife Management
Area and the "green"' Creekside Community.
Date: 10/02/03
Committee asked to cut pay increase for commissioners
J.C. Franklin asked Blount County Budget Committee members Monday to consider
a resolution rescinding the Commission's pay increase and approving a lesser
amount of $500 per month for each member.
Date: 09/09/03
Group to voice opposition to pay increases
The Raven Society, a local political action committee, plans to take a stand
at Thursday's Blount County Commission meeting on commission pay increases.
Date: 08/19/03
75 mull zoning along U.S. 411 South
Their opinions ran the gamut, but that was the point of Thursday's public hearing
on U.S. 411 South: To hear what Blount County residents think about zoning
and land issues along the busy thoroughfare.
Date: 07/11/03
Citizens, officials differ on Pellissippi Parkway extension
Some residents said the Tennessee Department of Transportation didn't get enough
public input about the Pellissippi Parkway extension.
Date: 05/23/03
Move to remove Rigsby stalls
Momentum to remove Rick Rigsby from the Blount County Planning Commission Thursday
hit an obstacle.
Date: 02/22/03
Woodruff refiles campaign finance disclosure statements
Under pressure from a Blount County political action committee, County Executive
Beverley Woodruff refiled campaign finance disclosure statements Friday.
Date: 01/11/03
Raven Society hosts reception Sunday
The Raven Society will host a reception Sunday to honor the community"s
commissioners, executives, mayors, councilmen, aldermen, and planners.
Date: 10/19/02
Citizens speak out against extension
It'll take more than opinions to stop the Pellissippi Parkway extension.
Date: 01/30/02
TDOT chief says no to Southern Loop
Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Saltsman says the
proposed Southern Loop is too expensive to build -- at least right now.
Date: 03/09/01
Environmentalists: Growth comes with price
Your hear about the overcrowded schools; you sit in traffic on congested roadways.
You notice the new faces in church, the new shopping center on the corner,
the vast new subdivision.
Date: 06/04/00
New political action committee opposes Southern Loop
A political action committee called The Raven Society has been organized for
the purpose of maintaining the rural character of Blount County.
Date: 05/16/00