Commercial or Large Residential Site Development Permit

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Commercial/Large Residential site development consists of land disturbance exceeding 1/4 acre associated with individual residential parcels and/or commercial sites. Land disturbance includes a portion of any site that has been altered from existing conditions including, but not limited to, the following: providing access to a site, clearing of vegetation, grading, earth moving, altering land forms or other related work. Any work exceeding one acre will also require approval from the State of Tennessee. The City of Knoxville will issue approval on behalf of the State after review. For more information on land development regulations please click the Land Development link on the right side of the screen.

A site development permit allows for the construction of approved erosion and sediment controls as outlined in the BMP Manual. Additional information is available on the right side of the screen for approved erosion control methods and land development regulations.

  • If the proposed work will only be clearing of vegetation and grading, select General Project Type: Site Only - No Structures when prompted;
  • If the proposed work will include the installation of stormwater controls, site utilities, parking lot, driveway, or landscaping select General Project Type: Site Only with Infrastructure when prompted;
  • If the proposed work will include the installation of footings or slabs for buildings or structures please use the IBC New Construction application.

     

 

To apply for a Commercial/Large Residential site development permit follow these steps:

Online

Step 1.Process Overview

Please follow the detailed steps below to submit your permit application. After the application is processed, the applicant will receive emails with the next steps. Plans review is required for site development so a review fee will be assessed for this portion of the process which covers the initial review by all offices except Engineering; additional review fees may be assessed by the Engineering office during the review process. If you would like to review the currently adopted fee schedules, please visit the ‘Fees’ section of the FAQ page.

After the plan review fee is paid, the applicant will receive an email invitation to upload plans to the KnoxPlans portal for electronic review. The uploaded plans and documentation will be made available to all groups that need to be involved in the permit approval process (building, zoning, engineering, utilities, fire, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing). After plans are approved, a permit fee will be assessed and, following payment, the permit will be issued to the permit holder associated with the project.

Step 2.Collect Documents

For Commercial / Large Residential Site Development permits (clearing and grading only) you will need at least a site plan showing grades and erosion prevention measures; specific requirements will vary by project. 

For Commercial / Large Residential Site Development permits (with infrastructure) you will need at least a site plan showing grades and erosion prevention measures, location of all proposed structures, separate site plan showing all proposed infrastructure, and details for buried MEP infrastructure; specific requirements will vary by project. DO NOT include foundation plans or building construction details; foundation work is not permitted on this permit type.

Plans will not be submitted in this application– an invitation to submit plans to the electronic review portal will be sent to the applicant following application processing. Having your plans prepared at the time of application will help avoid project delays.

Step 3.Have License / Registration Number and Citizen Access Account Information

To submit an application, a Citizens Access account is required. This account will be used to manage the project through permitting and inspections. If you do not have a Citizens Access account, follow the link below to register. It is recommended that companies or firms apply for a single account, under a common company email address, that all applicants at the company or firm can use to submit applications.

Apply for Citizens Access Account

Note: This process must be completed prior to beginning the application process.

To issue a permit and unlock inspection requests, a license or registration for the individual responsible for the permit is required to be associated with the application. For a Large Residential / Commercial (>10,000 s.f.) Site Development Permit, license association can be deferred during the plans review process but this information must be provided prior to permit issuance. If you know who the contractor or permit holder will be now, request their City license number so they can be associated during the application process. If the individual responsible for the permit has not yet been issued a City of Knoxville license, save this link so they can register for their license at a later date (link is also available on the main landing page). 

Application for Permit Holder

NoteFailure to associate an appropriate license number to any application, other than for plans review, will result in extensive processing delays.

Step 4.Submit Online Application

Complete the online form below.  After completing the basic information section you will log into your Citizens Access account to review your selections and finalize the application for submittal.  One of our staff members will contact you regarding the next steps for processing of your application.

Step 5.Application Review

A member of the administrative staff will review the application and be in contact with the applicant within 1-2 business days if additional information is required.

Step 6.Pay Fees

Once the submitted application is approved for processing, you will receive an email that an invoice has been generated which you will pay using the Citizens Access portal.  We can accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover for payments not exceeding $5,000. Checks may be delivered to the office for payments greater than $5,000. Please email bldginspections@knoxvilletn.gov with any questions or concerns regarding your online experience.

Step 7.Await Results

Project reviews are processed in the order received. Current staffing levels and the higher than normal demand for services mean that comments for the first review cycle will generally be returned after approximately 3 to 4 weeks from the date plans are accepted by intake staff. Subsequent review cycles after often prioritized since these evaluations are generally verification of requested details and comments associated with these reviews can frequently be returned in 1 to 2 weeks. You can check the status of your review using the Project Status Inquiry page. Staffing levels, project volume, and review complexity may contribute to deviations in estimated turn-around times.  When the review cycle is completed you will receive a request via email for additional information or directions for completing the permit process. 

In person

Our Department is working to create a quick and effective path to schedule in person reviews and permit aid. Thank you for your patience. Please contact our Development Services Department for any further questions. 865-215-4311

For information on Pre Submittal Conferences with our entire review staff or for information on Project Discussion Meetings with select members of our review staff please contact our Development Services Department. 865-215-4311

 

Plan Specifications

Site Plan Requirements

A preliminary site plan is required before permits are issued. A final (as-built) site plan may be required prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy and/or release of a bond. A good resource for a site plan is a survey issued for a recent mortgage or refinance closing or KGIS maps

A site plan includes the entire lot, drawn to scale, with the following:

  • Lot lines with dimensions and road frontage shown.

  • All existing and proposed buildings and structures with overall dimensions and, for proposed buildings and structures, the distance measured from all adjacent lines to the closest point of the proposed construction.

  • Existing and proposed driveways, parking spaces, patios, pool decking, and walkways with area and surface material identified.

  • All existing and proposed impervious surfaces clearly itemized and listed in square feet and as a percentage of the net lot size. This can be shown on the site plan or an attached impervious calculation worksheet.

  • All easements, buffers and flood hazard areas (FEMA or flood-prone soils).

  • Parcel identification number (PIN), address of property, north arrow, scale of the site plan, bar scale, and date map prepared (and any revision dates). 

  • If parcel is less than 5 acres, scales of 1" = 20', 30', 40', 50', 60' or 100' are acceptable..

  • For a parcel of 5 acres or more, scales of 1” = 100’, 200’, 300’, 400’ or 500’ are acceptable in addition to the scales listed above and may be on any size paper. If the paper is larger than 11” x 17”, or the scale is smaller than 1”=100’, an inset or separate sheet must also be provided showing the proposed construction at a scale of 1” = 20’, 30’, 40’, 50’, 60’ or 100’.

  • As-built surveys must be labeled as such, be completed by a professional land surveyor and include all the above. The date the as-built is prepared must be on or after the initial building final.

Further information regarding requirements of the Stormwater Programs may be obtained from City of Knoxville Development Services at 865-215-3669.

**These are minimum requirements. Special circumstances or small lots may necessitate further requirements**