KNOXVILLE - Knoxville City Council tonight gave final approval to and authorized Mayor Indya Kincannon to adopt the City’s Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

Council also authorized the Mayor to execute agreements to deliver more than $520,000 in services and grants aimed at promoting youth-serving programs and reducing community violence, and improvements are coming to a Northeast Knoxville intersection.

Parks & Rec Master Plan

The first master plan for City parks since 2009 lays out a strategy of sustainable growth to connect and expand resources and amenities.

It can be found here: playknoxvilletn.com.

The plan was prepared by Perez Planning + Design, based on input collected during an extensive, community-driven process that started last year. Parks and Rec staff interacted with residents at more than 80 community meetings and events and gathered additional suggestions through surveys and an interactive online map.

Community Safety and Empowerment

Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to take these actions:

• Execute documents to award $213,500 in Opportunity Youth Program grants to 13 community organizations providing programs serving Knoxville youth and young adults

• Execute an agreement with C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries – totaling $186,100 – to provide individual case management, social services and emergency relocation support to individuals at high risk of being involved in violence

• Enter into an agreement with the McNabb Center – totaling $121,000 – to provide individual and group therapy to those at high risk of being involved in violence and enrolled in outreach or life coaching

Tazewell Pike and Beverly Road

A traffic signal and other improvements are coming to this Northeast Knoxville intersection.

Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to execute an agreement for $153,240 with Cannon & Cannon to provide professional design services, including plans for a traffic signal in the now-unsignalized busy intersection. As part of that, the design will account for placement of electronics, a signal cabinet, conduit, wiring and signal poles. The design will include considerations for the possibility of future intersection widening to accommodate turn lanes.

Transportation Engineering evaluates and prioritizes requests for new traffic signals, based on crash history and traffic volumes. The intersection of Tazewell Pike and Beverly Road ranks near the top of the priority list for several criteria.