City leaders could convert a key block of Union Avenue to one-way traffic, though business owners are starkly opposed to the change because they're worried the move will deter longtime customers.
Business owners and residents say communication from the city has been sub-par, and they want an overall traffic study conducted to see how the change will affect the flow of cars throughout downtown.
Ellie Moore, Knoxville's downtown coordinator, hosted a July 10 feedback session with residents and business owners that attendees said grew contentious at times. To prepare the proposal, city crews conducted a study on Union Avenue for one week in May and hosted a two-week public comment period.
When Knox News asked the city for the May study and community
comments, spokesperson Eric Vreeland said no final decision has been made and did not send the requested information.
The proposal comes as construction progresses on the AC by Marriott on Walnut Street, which will bring out-of-towners to the western side of downtown. Other adjacent local businesses include JC Holdway, Union Ave Books, Chesapeake's, Mahalo Coffee Roasters, Pete's Cafe and the Pembroke Apartments.
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Why did the city propose this and how would it impact business owners?
Jake La Grander, owner of Pete's Cafe, was at the meeting and told Knox News he disagrees with the proposal because it's "already confusing to get through downtown." If the street is converted, he said, customers would only have one way to access his restaurant by car.
"My main concern is keeping my business alive and well," he said.
Union Avenue is already one-way closer to Market Square, but the block in question has two-way traffic between Locust and Walnut streets.
In its proposal, the city said it would install parking on both sides of the street and reduce it to one westbound lane. If this happens, La Grander worries customers won't be able to pull over for curbside pickup.
Changes could create an issue for residents as well, said Deno Cole, Pembroke's HOA president, and she worries about emergency vehicles and delivery trucks.
At the meeting, Moore said converting the whole street would make navigating downtown more intuitive, encourage more pedestrian traffic and improve connectivity to Market Square.
Cole said it would have the opposite effect on Pembroke residents, making it harder for them to exit their parking garage and navigate to the highway. The inability to turn both ways, he said, would add an extra few blocks to their commute to the interstate.
What do stakeholders suggest the city do?
Allison Jackson, an attorney for Egerton McAfee, submitted a letter to the city ahead of the community meeting on behalf of Dogwood Properties, which owns the public parking lot at 500 Locust St. Jackson urged the city to conduct a new citywide traffic study to incorporate business and residential changes.
The last time the city published a downtown circulation and mobility study was in 2015, when a possible one-way street on Union Avenue was explored.
Cole and La Grander also support another study to determine how this change could affect downtown's traffic patterns overall instead of relying on the results of just a weeklong study. Cole said the city's decision to measure traffic patterns in May doesn't account for University of Tennessee students.
Cole said he's open to a change if the city demonstrates the proposal's long-term feasibility.
A concern about communication
While the city approached La Grander about the proposal before the July 10 meeting, he said not every local business owner was consulted. La Grander said the whole process has been "really rocky."
Cole said he only heard about the proposal through an email chain between local business owners. By that time, the two-week comment period was closed, making him believe homeowners and taxpayers hadn't been notified either.
Vreeland told Knox News there hasn't been any public announcement about the potential project, and the city is in the middle of discussions with stakeholders.
Sophia Tiedge is the Growth and Transformation reporter for Knox News. Email: sophia.tiedge@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: One-way plan worries Union Avenue business owners, who want a full traffic study
