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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for an expansion of a place of worship in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district, subject to three conditions:

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1. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including, but not limited to, Article 12 (Landscape).
2. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections.
3. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.

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This request is for the expansion of an existing place of worship. The expansion will include a new approximately 4,230 sq ft sanctuary space with a 380-seat capacity and an approximately 25,173 sq ft parking area with 61 new parking spaces. A minimum of 95 parking spaces is required for the use, and the plan proposes a total of 100 parking spaces. The parking area will utilize permeable pavement, and a Type A landscape buffer will be planted along the perimeter of the site, which will screen the parking area from the adjacent single-family dwelling.

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

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The One Year Plan recommends that churches should be located on arterial or collector streets with close proximity to major residential areas, and development of selected sites should be done in a manner that will not adversely affect any adjacent land uses (pg. 33). The proposed expansion is for an existing church with direct access to Buffat Mill Road, a major collector street. Ample landscape screening will be placed around the perimeter of the site to provide buffering between abutting residential uses.
B. The proposed site plan is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 9.3: Ensure that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. A variance was granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals to decrease the minimum required front setback in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district to 41 ft (BZA-26-0047). The average setback of the blockface is 70.6 ft, so the setback would otherwise be a range from 80.6 ft to 60.6 ft (+/- 10 ft of the average blockface). The proposed setback is approximately 42.4 ft.
B. The proposed plan meets all other requirements for a nonresidential use in the RN-1 district.
C. The subject property is partially within the HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) district. The sanctuary space and the majority of the new parking area are located outside of the HP area. The parking expansion area within the HP area has been previously disturbed.

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. The church building on the property has been operational since the early 1970s and is a well-established use in the area. The use is compatible with development along this section of Buffat Mill Road, which features a mix of residential and civic uses, including two other places of worship, a community center, and a KUB facility.

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. The proposed church expansion is not anticipated to negatively impact the value of adjacent property. Landscape screening will be placed around the perimeter of the site, and any proposed lighting must be directed away from residential uses.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The proposed expansion is not expected to draw substantial additional traffic through residential streets, as the subject property has direct access to a major collector street.

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 or environmental factors in the surrounding area that would pose a potential hazard or have an undesirable impact on the proposed use.