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At Monday’s Knoxville City Council meeting, the council passed an ordinance which will allow for more flexibility with new projects on non-conforming properties. City Manager Aaron Adams tells KNIA/KRLS News that some houses in the city were built before setback requirements, or required distance between a structure and the street, were put in place. He says that if a resident wants to build a deck or other structure on the back of a house of this type, the homeowner will no longer need to request a variance, as long as the proposed project complies with backyard setback requirements.

“What we have done, and again we changed the code to be more flexible for homeowners, is if you’re working on a project on the back of that hypothetical house, and that project in the back does meet all the setbacks for your backyard, then there’s no reason for you to go and get a variance. That saves the property owner a little bit of time and money and makes it easier for them. And it makes it easier for us as a staff to say ‘Yes, go ahead and do that new deck in the backyard.’”

A complete interview with Knoxville City Manager Aaron Adams about this ordinance and others passed at Monday’s council meeting can be heard on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.