Disposition Summary

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

---

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 ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. Development trends in the surrounding area have mainly been residential and commercial in nature. Since the early 2000s, there has been a gradual transition from A (Agricultural) zoning to residential zonings, such as RA (Low-Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential) with up to 5 du/ac, and commercial zonings, such as SC (Shopping Center) and CA (General Business).
2. Commercial development has been concentrated along Chapman Highway, a commercial corridor roughly 800 ft northeast of the subject property, and residential development has been focused to the south.
3.This site consists of two 0.54-acre lots. The minimum lot area under the A zone is one acre. Approving the requested RA zone will bring the subject properties into compliance, as they meet the minimum standards of the RA zone, which is 20,000 sq ft for lots not served by a sanitary sewer system.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The RA zone provides for residential areas with low population densities. The requested RA zone is compatible with the surrounding residential zoning, which includes properties zoned RA and PR with up to 5 du/ac.
2. The RA zone is also intended to protect areas from the encroachment of uses that do not serve a function necessary to the residential environment. The subject property is adjacent to commercial properties zoned SC and CA. The requested RA zone would be a buffer zone between more intense commercial uses and the residential development along Highland View Drive.
3. Rezonings should be based on the entire range of uses allowed within a zone to ensure that any development brought forth at a future time would be compatible with the surrounding land uses. The allowable uses in the RA zone, which are primarily residential and civic in nature, align with the area's surrounding character.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AN AMENDMENT.
1. As previously mentioned, lots in the RA zone not served by a sanitary sewer system must have a minimum lot area of 20,000 sq ft. Based on the minimum lot area alone, the subject property could yield up to two lots, which aligns with the residential character of the surrounding area.

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 subject property has the SR (Suburban Residential) Place Type in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The RA zone is directly related to the SR Place Type. The housing mix in the SR place type calls for predominantly single-family dwellings with lots smaller than one acre and attached residential dwellings such as duplexes. The residential uses permitted in the RA zone align with the preferred housing mix of the SR place type.
2. The recommended rezoning complies with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 5, to create neighborhoods with a variety of housing types and amenities in close proximity. The subject property is roughly 800 ft south of Chapman Highway, a service-oriented commercial corridor with various amenities.
3. The subject property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which encourages a reasonably compact development pattern. The allowable lot sizes and housing types in the RA zone support the intent of the Planned Growth Area.