Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and supported by infrastructure improvements, subject to 2 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and supported by infrastructure improvements, subject to 2 conditions.

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1. Widening Ball Camp School Road from the subject property's access point to the intersection at Ball Camp Byngton Road/Middlebrook Pike per the requirements of Knox County Engineering and Public Works before a unified residential development plan is permitted.
2. Disturbing no more than 2.52 acres within the Hillside Protection area per the slope analysis recommendation. The undisturbed area shall be designated as Common Area if a unified residential development plan is pursued.

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PURSUANT TO THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, ARTICLE 6.30.01, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR ALL REZONINGS (must meet all of these):

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY/COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. The subject property is a short distance from the Schaad Road capital improvement project, which has widened that major arterial street from 2 to 4 lanes with a center median and sidewalks on both sides. This roadway enhancement is transforming the area with more intensive residential and commercial rezonings and developments along the corridor commensurate with increased infrastructure capacity. These circumstances support consideration of the requested increase in PR (Planned Residential) density from 2.5 to 5 dwelling units per acre.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The PR zone is intended to provide optional methods of land development that are responsive to environmental constraints on a property. Residential development can be clustered in the optimal areas of a lot, leaving the more environmentally sensitive areas conserved.
2. The subject property is almost entirely within the Hillside Protection area with a substantial portion of the forested slopes exceeding 25%. PR is an appropriate zone in this context because it enables flexibility with regards to the placement of residences to conserve steep slopes, and it provides Planning Commission oversight through development plan review.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT:
1. There are two recommended conditions that will mitigate potential impacts from an increase in residential intensity at this location. The first condition is to widen Ball Camp School Road from the subject property's access point to the intersection with Ball Camp Byington Road/Middlebrook Pike in coordination with Knox County Engineering and Public Works. Ball Camp School Road is narrow and unstriped, so this measure would bring it up to current standards and accommodate an increase in traffic from residential development.
2. The second condition is to disturb no more than 2.52 acres within the Hillside Protection (HP) area, per the slope analysis included in this package. The lot has 1.61 acres that are outside of the HP area and can be fully disturbed, so this condition provides a total of 4.13 acres of developable land. The requested PR density of 5 du/ac would yield a maximum of 39 units. Condensing that unit count onto 4.13 acres would appear like a density of approximately 9 du/ac. That is a residential intensity and housing form that can be considered in the SR (Suburban Residential) place type, which is the Comprehensive Plan's land use designation for the front half of this lot. The disturbance restrictions would support the preservation of the RC (Rural Conservation) place type, which is the intent of that land use designation comprising the rear of the lot.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS:
1. The PR zone up to 5 du/ac is consistent with the zoning and intensity that can be considered in the SR and the RC place types when a property is in the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, as is the case with this lot's location. PR is a partially related zone in both place types, and this rezoning meets the criteria for a partially related zone to be considered by conforming with a secondary use described in both place types. The SR and RC place type contemplate attached residential development, and in the case of the RC designation, this is specifically intended to conserve other portions of the lot. This rezoning with the recommended condition aligns with the permitted uses and intent of both place types.
2. The subject property is near numerous assets that support an increase in residential development. It is located directly across the street from Ball Camp Elementary School, and it is a short distance from the large park and recreation field complex of Ball Camp Park and Nicholas Ball Park.
3. As previously stated, transportation infrastructure here has been recently enhanced for both vehicles and pedestrians. As a result, the area is seeing an influx of new service-oriented commercial and residential developments.