March 2026 - ONK Meeting Minutes

Date: March 23, 2026

Attendance

Joy Guilford (Presiding), Kelly Arsenault, Sean Bolin, Donna Spencer, Kent Minault, Pete Creel, Kim Davis, Katie Cooper, Juliet McVay, Janice Lewis, Dave Ticehurst, Margareth Olsson, Martin Cordell, Drew Sparks, John Golliher, Alison Hardy

Officer Reports

President: Joy Guilford

Minutes Approval

Pete Creel makes motion to approve with changes, Dave Ticehurst seconded, and the motion passes.

Officer Clemons

Neighbors shared concerns about middle-school-age kids riding small motorbikes around the neighborhood and extremely loud cars. She took information and will check into both issues. She's not sure whether she'll continue to be assigned here, and the group expressed thanks for all she's done.

Committee Reports

President

Joy Guilford 

No new business.

Historic Preservation

Sean Bolin

A house on Freemont is currently undergoing work without the necessary permit and has had its historic windows removed prior to obtaining one. It is in our best interest to engage with our neighbors promptly.

First Lutheran is once again attempting to sell and relocate the house. They have a grasp of the concept, but as the board changes, they lose valuable institutional knowledge. The house was designated as H1 when it was occupied, and subsequently purchased by First Lutheran. The discussions have been cordial and productive. If they no longer wish to retain the property, they should consider re-parceling and selling it.

Additionally, we require assistance in updating our guidelines. A draft exists, but we need a volunteer to help finalize it. A copy of the guidelines is currently with our contact at the city. Please reach out to Sean. Linday Lanois may have a copy of the new guidelines and her email is lindsay.lanois@knoxplanning.org.

Treasurer

Martin Cordell

Per February vote, the neighborhood donated the East TN Design Center and North Knoxville Business & Professional Association, per the decision in February.

Beautification

Xavier Bridges

Janice is interested in maintaining the traffic circles through a garden club. Sean Bolin made a motion to reimburse Janice up to $500 for expenses related to flowers in the traffic circles. Drew Sparks seconded the motion and it passed.

Margareth Olsson noted that the First Creek clean-up looks great. However, there's a doggy bag station that's been knocked over. She called 311 and emailed but did not hear back. She also expressed interest in putting up a sign near the station to encourage people to pick up after their pets.

Margareth also noted that there's a sign in the park saying St. John's takes care of the park but it should be changed to Old North Knoxville. Drew Sparks reached out to Charissa Oglesby (COglesby@KnoxvilleTN.gov) regarding size requirements for the sign but has not heard back.

Communication

Drew Sparks

Drew put together designs for new signs to announce events (e.g., meetings, socials, etc.). Drew wants to have people adopt a roundabout near them and put the signs out before events. We also need to ensure the neighbors across Broadway receive signs as well. Sean Bolin made a motion to print the signs for $400; Dive Tichehurst seconded it, and the motion passes.

Home Tour

Martin Cordell

Holy Ghost Catholic Church on Central asked to be on the tour this year as it's their 100-year anniversary.

Social

Kelly Arsenault  

Kelly has been the social chair for years and we're now searching for someone to take over.

New Business

Matthew DeBardelaben

Our City Council representative and neighbor Matthew DeBardelaben shared several updates, including the passage of the Comprehensive Park Plan, which he described as a roadmap for the Mayor's Office and Parks and Recreation. He also noted that Care Cuts will be relocating to Clinton Highway. Regarding local development, the project at Broadway and Grainger is stalled due to zoning planning restrictions, while Greenleaves Bike Shop is under contract following the owner's passing.

Neighbors raised several infrastructure concerns, specifically requesting that "active" crosswalks at Central and Broadway be updated to "passive" systems that do not require a button press. Discussion also turned to visibility issues at the intersection of Scott and Harvey, where missing "no parking to corner" signs create hazards. Matthew agreed to investigate both issues. Additionally, the group discussed the need for alley addressing for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to ensure emergency services can accurately locate residents in the back of primary properties.

Matthew also highlighted the high energy and collaborative spirit of the current City Council, noting an upcoming retreat to align on goals and improve oversight. He emphasized that as Knoxville grows, the council is focused on solving practical neighborhood issues (ranging from pet limits to KUB concerns) while maintaining the unique character of areas like Old North Knoxville.

Justice Knox

Donna Spencer gave a brief presentation on Justice Knox, an organization that brings together congregations (largely but not exclusively Christian) and individuals to identify and address community concerns. The group has been active since 2016 and has addressed issues including mental health, housing, education, and gun violence. Currently working on addressing elements of homelessness, transportation, and economic instability. The year's culminating event is the Nehemiah Action Assembly, which will be Monday, April 13, from 7 to 8:30 at the Civic Auditorium. They're hoping for as large a group as possible and everyone is invited to attend.

Upcoming Elections

Joy announced the slate for next month's board elections:

1. Kelly Arsenault

2. Scott Bolen

3. Xavier Bridges (new)

4. Donna Spencer

5. David Ticehurst

6. Kim Davis (who will take over Joy's spot contingent on our finding a new president)

We will vote on this slate next month and announce the slate of officers.