Disposition Summary

Approve the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with the Knox Couty Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

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Staff Recommendation

APPROVE the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with the Knox Couty Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

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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. This area of the County has been developed for commercial and office uses since the early 2000s. There are several offices, commercial establishments, and storage facilities along this portion of Asheville Highway.
2. Recent rezonings in the area have been from A (Agricultural) to CA (General Business) and OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) (10-F-24-RZ, 7-M-24-RZ).
3. These development and zoning conditions support consideration of the requested CA zone on the subject property.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The CA zone is intended for general retail business and services not including the manufacturing or processing of materials other than farm products. The CA zone is consistent with the existing office, commercial, and warehousing uses in the area.
2. The CA zone allows for a contractor storage yard as a use on review. The historic use of this property has been as a vehicle storage lot and office location for a contractor service operation. The A zone does not permit a contractor storage yard; If this use remains on the propoerty, approval of the CA zone would allow for any current and future property owners to come into compliance with the code, subject to a use on review approval.

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 CA zone exists on multiple lots in the vicinity of the subject property. The uses permitted by right and through use on review in the CA zone are in line with existing uses in the area.
2. Asheville Highway is a 4-lane divided highway with a center median. There is a curb cut aligned with Cedar Ridge Road to allow access from the eastbound lanes, so there is direct access to the site from both directions. Rezoning of this property would not result in negative traffic impacts on the 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 CA zoning is partially related to the property's CMU (Corridor Mixed Use) place type designation on the property per the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. Partially related zones may be appropriate but must meet one of three criteria listed in Appendix H of the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed CA zoning meets these additional criteria by being compatible with the current commercial and office zoning of adjacent sites.
2. The East County Community Plan identifies Asheville Highway as a desired development corridor. This rezoning would allow for uses of the property which support development concentration along the corridor.
3. The property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan. The purposes of the Planned Growth Area designation are to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote the expansion of the Knox County economy, offer a wide range of housing choices, and coordinate the actions of the public and private sectors, particularly regarding the provision of adequate roads, utilities, schools, drainage and other public facilities and services. The proposed rezoning meets the relevant standards of the Growth Policy Plan.
4. This rezoning would support Implementation Policy 3 of the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, to encourage infill and redevelopment of underutilized commercial land. Rezoning the parcel to CA would allow for easier by-right development of a historically commercial site and broaden potential permitted uses via the use on review process within the CA zone.