Disposition Summary

Approve the special use request for a townhouse development in the RN-3 district, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the special use request for a townhouse development in the RN-3 district, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including but not limited to principal Use Standards for townhouses (Article 9.3.I).
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Engineering Department.
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Plans Review and Inspections Department.

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STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2)

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The proposed use is consistent with the General Plan's development policy 8.1 that encourages growth in the existing urban area through infill housing on vacant lots and redevelopment parcels.
B. The use is also consistent with the General Plan's development policy 9.3, which encourages that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities. The two-story townhouses will be similar in scale and height to the nearby multifamily developments.
C. The Northwest City Sector Plan recommends the MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use with densities up to 12 du/ac in the City if a property does not have any sidewalk connections to a nearby transit service. The proposed subdivision has an approximate density of 6.6 du/ac.
D. The proposed use is consistent with the One Year Plan's MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-3 district is intended to accommodate medium density residential neighborhoods in the City of Knoxville characterized by one and two-family homes. Townhouse dwellings may be allowed by special use approval to facilitate a more urban development form.
B. The site plan and building elevation as provided conform to the dimensional standards (Article 4.3) and Principal Use Standards (Article 9.3.I) for townhouses in the RN-3 district. Although the floor plan and elevation show a 2-unit structure, the proposed townhouses with 3-5 dwelling units can be built through a repetition of the typical floor plan. Each structure shall comply with the Principal Use Standards, as mentioned in the condition of this special use approval.
C. The property has an HP (Hillside Protection) overlay which intends to protect hillsides and hillside development. According to the slope analysis, the proposed site plan is compatible with the Density and Land Disturbance Limitations (Article 8.9.C., Table 8.6).

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. There are several multifamily developments within 0.5-mile south of the property on properties zoned RN-3, RN-5, and RN-6, including a higher-density apartment complex accessed via Papermill Drive.
B. The surrounding area is characterized by one- and two-story houses. The proposed two-story structures will be compatible in size and scale with the neighboring single-family houses.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
A. Townhouses are compatible with the surrounding residential uses and the proposal is not anticipated to injure the value of any nearby properties.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. Loans Drive is a major collector street and it should be able to handle the additional traffic generated from this 29-unit subdivision. The road layout has been reviewed by the City of Knoxville Engineering Department and the subdivision entrance has adequate sight distance.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
A. There are no known uses immediately surrounding the subject property that would pose a potential hazard or undesirable environment for the proposed use.