Knoxville Mercury Article Highlights First Creek Greenway Threat Posed by Proposed Development

Retaining Wall, Fuel Center, Loading Docks.  Development, or continued abuse of First Creek?

Article in the alternative weekly "The Knoxville Mercury" highlights threat to First Creek and the First Creek Greenway posed by a potential development in North Knoxville in "More Walmarts on the Way:"

In the last few years, the city spent millions to straighten a couple of deep curves in the creek to increase the flow and prevent the flooding of streets and homes. Thomas says he is also worried about how the project could affect First Creek Greenway, which he helped establish, and its planned northward expansion. 

Polestar had an informal meeting with city engineering officials last week to discuss its ideas for the site, which includes a 9-foot retaining wall above First Creek in its floodway, but no stormwater retention pond. 

Generally, a floodway is the area next to a creek that must be preserved to prevent a rise of more than a foot in the water surface level. 

But city storm-water engineer David MicGinley says building the retaining wall in the floodway won’t necessarily cause a foot rise in the water level there. On the other hand, current rules usually require a 60-foot buffer of undisturbed vegetation from the top of the creek bank or the floodway, says Chris Howley, who supervises plan review and development inspections for the city engineering department. 

The developer would be required to prevent stormwater runoff from increasing—or prove that it would actually be better for the creek if stormwater flowed out all at once, McGinley says. Even without space for a holding pond, there are other tools for reducing runoff. For example, parking lots can be built using pavers that allow water to penetrate, or underground storm-water tanks can be installed, Howley says. (Another creative option is planting a grass roof on the building.) 

McGinley points out that the majority of the site—the church portion—is already covered in buildings or pavement. “There are hurdles associated with the development, but I didn’t see any deal-killers,” Howley says.

I'm disappointed with the lack of protections that would seem to allow this development. It seems obvious to me as a trained ecologist that our laws and regulations are too permissive if nothing is a "deal-killer" in this proposal. Thermal pollution, parking lot runoff, lack of a stormwater detention pond - all of these are threats to First Creek that will only be exacerbated by this development.  But, Knoxville appears to lack local regulations that would protect First Creek - not entirely surprising, since First Creek has suffered generations of abuse.

The property the church is sited on was established in 1948; it seems obvious that whatever modifications were made to the watershed were done prior to modern protections.

The 1948 date probably explains why the property is an island "above flood zones" when the surrounding parcels are largely not.

First Creek Watershed Flood Zones from KGIS.org

Seems like zoning is the biggest hurdle, for now, although I'd prefer a requirement for new developments that mandates an easement for a greenway along the riparian buffer if this deal goes forward.  We've seen this happen at other Wal-Mart sites in Knoxville; the Walmart Supercenter at Kinzel Way in East Knoxville is an example where Love's Creek Greenway was built as part of the development.

Love's Creek Greenway at Walmart Superstore in East Knoxville

For now though there still seems like a chance to stop the development through denial of re-zoning:

"Trent says Knox Heritage plans to fight rezoning of the Howard house while raising money to buy it. She predicts the zoning question will end up in City Council’s lap, which is part of the reason for sponsoring the change.org petition—she wants to be able to convey to local politicians just how many people oppose the project."