Disposition Summary

Approve the modification of Section 8.4 (Commercial Designated Area) of the Belltown final plan to specify that the maximum 10,000 sqft floor area for a single business is limited to the retail and service establishments listed in Section 7.1.G., and eliminating the minimum building floor area, because the changes are in general conformance with the approved final plan, subject to 3 conditions.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the modification of Section 8.4 (Commercial Designated Area) of the Belltown final plan to specify that the maximum 10,000 sqft floor area for a single business is limited to the retail and service establishments listed in Section 7.1.G., and eliminating the minimum building floor area, because the changes are in general conformance with the approved final plan, subject to 3 conditions.

---

1) Meeting requirements of the Belltown final plan.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.
3) Obtaining final plan approval for the day care establishment from Planning staff.

---

This proposal is to increase the maximum floor area for a single business from 10,000 sqft to 13,000 sqft in Belltown Center, except for the retail and service establishment uses listed in Section 7.1.G. of the Belltown final plan, which will retain the maximum 10,000 sqft floor area for a single business, and eliminate the minimum 3,000 sqft building floor area (see Exhibit B). The allowance for one standalone restaurant of up to 12,000 sqft serving as an anchor has also been eliminated. The maximum floor area for individual buildings will remain 13,000 sqft for a single building, and the maximum gross floor area in the commercial area remains 64,000 sqft.

For reference, the original and proposed text in section 8.4.1. are copied below:
ORIGINAL - The Commercial Designated Area shall include one standalone restaurant of no more than 12,000 square feet which shall serve as an anchor. Additional buildings shall be between 3,000 and 13,000 square feet with no single business occupying more than 10,000 square feet. The total Commercial Designated Area shall not exceed 64,000 square feet.

PROPOSED - The Commercial Designated Area shall include buildings no larger than 13,000 square feet. No one Retail or Service Establishment identified in section 7.1.G shall occupy a single building or space of more than 10,000 square feet. The total Commercial Designated Area shall not exceed 64,000 square feet.

This request is consistent with the Belltown preliminary plan and final plan approvals because it provides flexibility for uses that have a lesser impact on public infrastructure and the surrounding community, and does not increase the intensity of the development.

The impetus of this request is to allow a day care establishment with a floor area up to 13,000 sqft (see Exhibit C). They are currently limited to 10,000 sqft. In 2024, a similar request was made to allow a single medical office/clinic to have a maximum floor area of 10,894 sqft (11-A-24-PD). The medical office associated with that request has been constructed.

The development standards for Belltown were approved through the "planned development approval" process in Article 6.80 of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance. The Belltown "preliminary plan" (11-A-22-PD) was approved by the County Commission in January 2023. The preliminary plan outlines the proposed public benefits, requested waivers to the dimensional standards and uses within the A (Agricultural) zone, transportation improvements, and project phasing. The final plan(s) include the Belltown preliminary plan document that was revised based on the conditions of approval, and detailed development plans for phases or individual developments that must be in conformance with the adopted standards.

The Planning Commission has the authority to approve "major modifications" to final plans that do not qualify as "minor modifications". Minor modifications are specific deviations approvable by Planning and Knox County Engineering and Public Works staff (Article 6.80.07). All major modifications must be approved by the Planning Commission, and may only approve changes to the final plan if they find such changes are in general conformance with the approved final plan, necessary for the continued successful functioning of the planned development, respond to changes in conditions that have occurred since the final plan was approved, and/or respond to changes in adopted county land use policies.