Knoxville reaches compromise in one Chilhowee Park handgun lawsuit

Knoxville leaders have worked out a compromise with a Loudon County woman who sued the city in October 2015 after officials declined to allow guns inside Chilhowee Park.

The lawsuit, filed in Knox County Circuit Court on behalf of Pandora Vreeland, requested that the court issue a declaratory judgment to allow those with valid carry permits to "possess their firearms" inside the park.

It was filed after the Tennessee Valley Fair, which operates each fall at the park, concluded.

At issue is a Tennessee law that says someone with a gun carry permit can bring a weapon into a state or city park so long as it’s not close to a school. City leaders and fair operators, however, said the law does not apply to the fair.

City leaders noted that Chilhowee Park’s name indicated it was a park, but that it was actually an exhibition center.

The agreement between the city and Vreeland was reached Thursday afternoon.

It essentially says that handgun permit holders are allowed to carry handguns in all outdoor facilities of Chilhowee Park so long as there is not an event.  Guns are prohibited in the public assembly buildings like The Muse, the Jacob Building, the Kerr Building, Homer Hamilton Theater and Golden Gloves Arena.

Guns also are prohibited in Chilhowee Park’s outdoor facilities during events so long as the event includes an admission charge, armed security and entrances that are marked with signs stating that firearms are not allowed into the event.

In addition, handguns are prohibited in Chilhowee Park when the outdoor facilities are limited only to those who are invited to the event by a sponsor, such as a private club using the area. Again, however, for such events, the entrances must be secured against entry by the general public and marked with signs stating that firearms are not allowed inside for the event.

The Tennessee Firearms Association filed a similar lawsuit against the city. That one hasn’t been settled.

2nd suit filed over fair's gun ban

A second Knox County lawsuit has been filed against the city of Knoxville and Mayor Madeline Rogero over their decision to ban guns from the Tennessee Valley Fair in Chilhowee Park.

Liston Matthews and Kimberly Bergeron filed the action Thursday in Knox County Chancery Court.  The lawsuit had been expected.

Other defendants include Police Chief David Rausch.

Matthews and Bergeron argue their rights as permit carriers were impeded and they suffered because the city refused to let carry permit holders bring firearms last fall onto the fairgrounds.

For decades, the fair has operated in September at Chilhowee Park in East Knoxville.

Although it's commonly referred to as a park, the city argues Chilhowee Park is actually an entertainment venue. As a result, a state law that allows permit holders to bring guns onto public park grounds does not apply, the city argues.

Matthews and Bergeron, however, argue they had a right to bring their weapons to the fair because it is a park and they say they suffered because they weren't able to attend while armed.

In October, a Loudon County woman filed a similar lawsuit in Knox County Circuit Court.

The Tennessee Firearms Association on Thursday hailed the court action.

According to Rogero, no one challenged the ban at the gate during the fair. Several people were found to have weapons. But they put them away before entering the fair, according to Rogero.

According to Rogero, fair organizers had asked that gun-carriers be prohibited from bringing weapons into the fair.