Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone with up to 9 du/ac because it is consistent with the adopted plans and changing conditions in the area.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone with up to 9 du/ac because it is consistent with the adopted plans and changing conditions in the area.

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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 ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. Since the early 1980s, the surrounding area has experienced a gradual transition from A (Agricultural) zoning. Rezonings to commercial, industrial, and office zones in the City and unincorporated County have been concentrated near the Strawberry Plains Pike and I-40 exit, while RA (Low-Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential) with up to 5 du/ac rezonings have been focused further northeast along Strawberry Plains Pike.
2. There has been a significant increase in residential development in the area since 2021. The Hunters Woods 39-lot single-family subdivision and the Universal at Strawberry Plains, a 349-unit housing development featuring apartment and townhouse dwellings, are both under construction approximately 0.25 miles west of the subject property.
3. Nonresidential development has included a mix of service-oriented establishments, trucking and warehousing, lodging establishments, and medical and dental clinics. A new indoor pickleball facility was opened across the street from the subject property in November 2024.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The PR zone is intended to provide optional methods of land development that encourage more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems and establish residential areas that are characterized by a unified building and site development program.
2. The topographical map of the site (Exhibit A) shows closed contours near the east side of the property, which could indicate the presence of sinkholes unless a geotechnical survey is conducted to determine otherwise. The PR zone would be appropriate to consider here as it allows development to be clustered on more optimal sections of the property.

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. The PR zone ensures that site plans undergo a public review process and obtain Planning Commission approval of any proposed developments. The plan will be reviewed to determine whether the proposed development is compatible with the surrounding community.
2. The PR zone with up to 9 du/ac could yield up to 125 dwelling units, which would require a traffic impact study during the development plan phase.

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 East County Community Plan identified Strawberry Plains Pike as a roadway suitable for a more intense development pattern. The subject property's location on Strawberry Plains Pike is within the development corridor buffer identified on the East Knox County Community Plan Area Map (Exhibit B).
2. The subject property is designated as SR (Suburban Residential) on the Future Land Use Map, which allows consideration of the PR zone with up to 9 du/ac. The PR zone is partially related to the SR place type and additional criteria must be met for partially related zones. The rezoning meets the second criterion, as the allowable housing types in the PR zone with up to 9 du/ac are consistent with the secondary uses recommended in the SR place type, such as attached residential.
3. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 9.1, to focus growth in areas already served by adequate infrastructure, and Implementation Policy 9.5, to avoid approving isolated developments where infrastructure is inadequate or not yet planned. The subject property's direct access to a minor arterial street and its proximity to the developing commercial node near the Strawberry Plains Pike and I-40 exit support increasing residential density at this site.
4. The East County Community Plan and SR place type encourage connectivity with new development and recommend that future development feature street and path connections to adjacent neighborhoods. Any proposed site plans will be reviewed to ensure opportunities for street connectivity are included with the proposed development.
5. The subject property is within the Urban Growth Boundary of the Growth Policy Plan, which aims to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote expansion of the Knoxville-Knox County economy, and offer a wide range of housing choices. The proposed rezoning aligns with the intent of the Urban Growth Boundary.