Planning & Zoning
Welcome to the City of Knoxville! We appreciate your intent to invest in Knoxville. We have prepared this section of our website to help your development process run smoother. This site does not include everything you could possibly wish to know, so please ask questions and we will help you to the best of our ability. We wish you well with your project!
Knoxville Zoning Map(Warning: 62.97MB PDF Document)
Zoning Map, Med Res(532kb PDF Document)
Our Role
The City’s zoning codes and development standards are designed to protect public health, safety, and general welfare. Such codes are written to ensure that development projects do not impact surrounding properties - in the present or the future. It is the job of the City staff to enforce these codes; thus precluding harmful spillover effects to other citizens, while honoring the rights of citizens to use their property.
To this end, City Codes are designed to achieve this balance; providing for the use of private property as one chooses within reasonable bounds established by community zoning codes. Thus, the City’s customer is both the developer and the general public. The staff will work hard to help you achieve your project, though City approval of your project will be predicated upon compliance with City Codes for the reasons stated here.
Need to Know’s
- Your project must be constructed in the appropriate zoning district.
- Your project must meet all zoning requirements (building setbacks, building height, parking requirements, etc). The zoning code provides such requirements for each zoning district.
- All plumbers and electricians doing work in Knoxville must be licensed by the City. Licensing requires a surety bond of $5,000. Contact Zoning Administrator Cindy Glick at 828-0550, extension 224 to apply.
- For new development projects, all streets, parking lots, and driveways MUST be paved (minimum 4 inch concrete).
- Stormwater detention is required for all commercial and industrial projects, and all major subdivision projects (more than 5 lots with and any infrastructure improvements).
- For any project disturbing more than one acre of land, a NPDES permit (for stormwater discharge) will be required from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This is a state law.
- All rezoning projects, subdivision plats, site plans, and applications for special use are submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission. The Planning & Zoning Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Knoxville City Hall. To be placed on the P&Z agenda all materials must be submitted by the date of the previous meeting.