March 9
Developers Roundtable: Barriers to Walkable Developments (this event is for developers, redevelopers, and builders; contact Ellen Zavisca for details)
March 11, 7:30a-2:30p
Neighborhood Conference, Knoxville (details here)
March 18
Spring Hike, hosted across the state by TN State Parks (details here)
March 22-23
22nd Annual Rural Development Conference,
Murfreesboro (details
here)
March 29-30
HappyHealthySmart Planning Symposium,
three events in Knoxville
(details below in right column)
May 9-11
Appalachian Gateway Communities 2017 Regional Workshop,
Ringgold, GA (Application deadline for teams is March 24, details
here.)
May 23-34
TDEC Sustainable
Transportation Awards & Forum,
Nashville
(hosted with TDOT and TN Clean Fuels Coalition; details
here)
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TDEC's Clean Tennessee Energy Grant is now in its 6th round. Matching grant requests range from $5K to $250K
on projects focused on c
leaner alternative energy, e
nergy conservation and a
ir quality improvement.
Pre-proposal submission is due
February 28. More details can be found
here.
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USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to fund innovative projects designed to strengthen market opportunities for local and regional food producers and businesses with $27 million in grants.
Details can be found
here and deadline for submission is
March 27 through grants.gov.
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USDA's Agriculture and Food Research grant wants development of innovative ideas to position U.S. agriculture at the global forefront. Must submit Letter of Intent. Grant closes
March 31. More information available
here.
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Share our Regional Stories!
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Have something for
the ETQG
Newsletter?
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Preservation
Toolbox
To tell us your story, click
here
.
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Colleagues,
The East Tennessee Quality Growth Board of Directors has recently conducted Strategic Planning sessions and has renewed focus for 2017.
We believe our role is to promote a constructive dialog on Quality Growth in the 16 county region. What is quality growth? While there may be differences in how our communities define and embrace this, the similarities are many. In the next few months we will be exploring this topic through our newsletter and through our programs and workshops.
Want to be involved? We're looking for representatives from communities in Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Union, Roane, Claiborne, Cocke, and Monroe Counties. Please
contact us if you are interested in promoting Quality Growth initiatives in your communities.
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County Spotlight: Monroe County
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ETQG is a non-profit serving Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. Each month we will spotlight one of these counties.
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Monroe county is Tennessee's sixth largest county by land area.
The mountainous landscape in the southeast part of the county includes the crest of the Unicoi Mountains, and as part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, marks the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina. The headwaters of the Little Tennessee once flowed freely, but
three artificial lakes are now the dominant water features.
Monroe stands out, in large part due to its
archaeological richness
. M
uch of Tennessee's
history is represented in the county, including the
namesake
of the state itself.
The history of Monroe is as well-documented as any rural county in the country - if not better - thanks to Sarah Sands' 3-volume History of Monroe County, TN. From Sequoyah to Fort Loudoun to the numerous now-submerged indigenous people's settlements, our nation and our state's past are well told in Monroe county.
And Monroe county is much more than just its past, as perhaps best understood by taking a short visit to one of the county's small towns.
Sweetwater
, which straddles both Monroe and McMinn counties, is a city with undeniable charm. The city is located on the
Tennessee
MainStreet Trail
and located just off of I-75, is perhaps the county's best known municipality.
Madisonville, the county seat, just finished a new public library and received another
grant
to improve and expand existing water infrastructure.
Located at the confluence of the Little Tennessee and the Tellico River,
Vonore
is the most archaeologically rich town in East Tennessee, with sites dating back to the Mississippian period. A trip to
Fort Loudon State Historic Park
and
Sequoyah Birth Place Museum
are a must.
Tellico Plains
resides just outside of the southern portion of Cherokee National Forest and is a popular destination for motorists, motor bikers, and bicyclists. The Cherohala Skyway is a popular route for travelers seeking scenic routes through the mountains.
All told, Monroe county is similar to the other counties that lie on the TN-NC border, possessing just as much or more of the scenery, history, and charm of its northern brothers and sisters. It has managed to embody a sense of place that is well balanced with a commercial identity. There's a reason people have been settling in this little patch of land for literally thousands of years.
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| Walkability Speaker Series - Retrofitting Suburbia |
The Knox County Health Department, along with the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and ETQG, is pleased to announce our next walkability speaker. Ellen Dunham-Jones is a leading authority on suburban redevelopment.  As professor and director of the Urban Design Program at Georgia Tech, and co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia, she has much to offer our region!
Here are some materials to prepare you for the upcoming event: this interview article in CNU Journal and this TEDxAtlanta talk.
We will have more information and details about her visit soon.
Stay tuned!
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Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the East Tennessee Community Design Center are looking for new ways to engage stakeholders - residents, business owners, community groups, public and private sector planning and design professionals, elected officials, and others - in talking about ways to make the region healthier, happier and smarter.
They are co-hosting a two-day HealthyHappySmart Planning Symposium to share ideas and facilitate a dialog. The events will explore planning, design, and transportation topics with an objective to stimulate conversation on how to create a healthier, happier, smarter region. The events include screenings of short films with commentary and analysis provided by nationally and locally-recognized experts.
- March 29 - Open Public Meeting from 5:30-800p at the History Center (Free)
- March 30 - Breakfast for Local and Appointed Officials with Experts from 9:00-10:30a at the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce (RSVP required to dori.caron@knoxtrans.org)
- March 30 - Meeting from 1:00-4:30p for planning & design professionals at the Square Room (Free; CEUs available)
ETQG is pleased to help sponsor this event along with the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Knoxville Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission, and additional local sponsors.
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| Make your Award Nominations |
| Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards are currently taking nominations for outstanding accomplishments that support the protection and enhancement of Tennessee's natural resources. Nominations may be made for individuals, groups, or organizations and self-nominations are encouraged. Deadline for nominations is March 31. More information here. |
| Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards are taking nominations for outstanding initiatives to improve the efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of transportation systems in the State. The following may be nominated or self-nominate: federal, state and local governments; commercial, nonprofit, and industrial organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and utilities. Deadline is March 31. See more here. |
Beginning in March and continuing through the rest of this year, there will be opportunities to properly dispose of household hazardous waste. Below are the dates for our region with further information
here.
March 18 - 9a-1p,
Hamblen county
March 25 - 9a-1p,
Cocke county
April 22 - 8a-12n,
Union county
April 29 - 8a-1p,
Loudon and
Sevier counties
May 20 - 9a-2p,
Roane county
September 16 - 9a-2p,
Anderson county
September 23 - 8a-12n,
Monroe county
October 14 - 8a-12n,
Jefferson and Loudon counties
October 21 - 8a-1p,
Blount county
Knox County residents can bring household hazardous waste to the
permanent facility located at 1033 Elm Street.
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