by Jack Neely

Six months ago, at the crest of the ridge that forms Fort Sanders, a tree-shaded block of turn-of-the-century homes appeared doomed. Plans made between Dallas-based developer JPI and a few landowners were so sweeping they startled members of the Metropolitan Planning Commission. The plan called for the demolition of most of a square block in the central part of Knoxville's most historic neighborhood, as well as parts of several other blocks.

Neighborhood residents mobilized against the project, at first with little hope of stopping it. It might have seemed another lost cause, Knoxville-style. But despite only ambivalent support from Fort Sanders' representative on City Council, Gary Underwood, the neighborhood did have some friends in high places, including former UT Chancellor Jack Reese on the MPC and even Mayor Victor Ashe himself.

In August, Ashe formed the Fort Sanders Forum—a consortium of developers, resident landowners, hospital administrators, university representatives, and city officials—and asked them to come up with a plan they could all agree on. John Leith-Tetrault, a professional facilitator from Baltimore, presided over what might have seemed an impossible situation.

Early reports about Forum meetings were hardly promising.

At one initial meeting, several Forum members say they heard UT President Joe Johnson insist that UT had no plans to tear down any more houses north of Cumberland Avenue until the Forum had made its recommendations; then, weeks later and without warning, UT demolished one of the oldest houses on White Avenue, a well-maintained Victorian home—apparently just to make a parking lot. There followed weeks of head-butting. By one account, some would-be developers even expressed opposition to establishing public parks in the neighborhood. At least once, JPI threatened to give up on Knoxville. We figured it would drag on well into '99; a Bosnian treaty might have seemed simpler.

That's why it was a welcome surprise last Thursday to hear the Forum had come up with a plan approved by both the neighborhood, represented by Historic Fort Sanders Neighborhood Association President Randall DeFord—whose well-preserved Laurel Avenue home is directly across the street from that most-threatened block—and the developers, specifically JPI development associate John Cutrer. JPI had backed out of the core of Fort Sanders, agreeing to develop only on the neighborhood's "periphery." We first heard the bulk of the development would be along Grand Avenue, which forms the northern boundary of Fort Sanders, an underdeveloped street of smaller houses, many of them dilapidated and many already torn down.

It seemed too good to be true, and was. Though the agreement at first sounded like a triumph for the neighborhood, the details make it sound as if this "compromise" is the equivalent of surrendering one child to save another.

Though there will be major development along a mostly empty part of Grand, the JPI development won't stop there. Some 25 old houses would still be demolished, about 10 of them along 11th Street, across from the artists' colony houses and visible from Summit Hill Drive—and another 15 on the quieter western side of Fort Sanders, along the 1800 block of Highland and Forest. Of the 25 houses condemned by the agreement, DeFord says seven are in "excellent shape" and another 14 or so at least serviceable. (It's interesting that our best estimate of the number of houses condemned by the pre-"compromise" plan was also 25. You wonder if developers won't feel they're getting a fair shake unless they get to tear down exactly as many houses as they wanted to six months ago.)

Those who live near the new sites may like the Forum's proposal even less than the original. For Knoxville at large, the houses alongside 11th Street would be a loss; these picturesque houses are the part of Fort Sanders we see from Summit Hill Drive, from the KMA, from downtown office windows. Some residents are also upset that most of the demolitions will be around the 1800 block of Highland, which is hardly "peripheral."

DeFord sounds somber about the results and admits he's only "less unhappy" with this proposal than he was with the original, which would have put the development in his own front yard. The membership of the Historic Fort Sanders Neighborhood Association will vote on the Forum's agreement on Jan. 5. For the membership, it'll be something like Sophie's Choice—but with the added threat that they may eventually lose the child they save, too. Landowners who were ready to tear down the houses in the core of the neighborhood—and, in fact, have already torn down other historic homes in the neighborhood, just to make parking lots—still own them, and may still find reason to tear them down.

Also bearing on association members' minds is another option that some might believe to be worth the gamble. The issue was already scheduled to come up in City Council on Jan. 6. A few months ago, preservationists were hopeful that Council might kill the whole project. With several Council members waffling on the issue, however, it seems too close to call. If the neighborhood association approves the Forum's proposal, they'll vote on that agreement. If it doesn't, they'll vote on whether to allow JPI to develop at the original site. (An absolute rejection in City Council would likely disappoint only a few landowners and JPI itself. Even development advocates admit there's much more demand for apartments in old houses than in modern apartment buildings, which have lately been going begging in Fort Sanders.)

The whole city should be watching this process closely. This is an important experiment for Fort Sanders and for Knoxville, which may profit to learn by this example. No one hates old houses and big trees. And no one hates new development when it's done wisely and benefits the long-term interests of the city as a whole.