Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Maintain a 50-ft tree protection buffer along the W Governor John Sevier Highway, as recommended by the Governor John Sevier Highway Scenic Highway Corridor Study. High visibility and tree protection fencing shall be installed before clearing and grading activities begin and maintained until site and building construction are complete.
2) Ensuring building height within 1,000 ft of the W Governor John Sevier Highway shall not exceed 35 ft, as required by TN Code § 54-17-115.
3) Providing street connectivity to the abutting western property and Winkle Lane, subject to review and approval by the Knox County Engineering & Public Works Department during the Development Plan application phase.

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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 1990s, zoning along this section of W Governor John Sevier Highway has gradually transitioned from A (Agricultural) to RA (Low Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential) with up to 2 to 8 du/ac.
2. Development trends have primarily been residential, consisting of a mix of single-family and townhouse developments. In 2019, a 56-unit single-family subdivision was constructed 0.27 miles west of the subject property, and a development plan for a 137-unit attached and detached residential subdivision was approved adjacent to the subject property earlier this year (1-D-25-DP).

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The PR zone provides flexibility for residential development, allowing a mix of residential uses and lot sizes characterized by a unified building and site development program.
2. 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 PR zone with up to 5 du/ac would be compatible with the surrounding residential zoning, which includes property zoned PR from up to 2 to 8 du/ac.

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 before construction begins. The plan will be reviewed to determine whether the proposed development is compatible with the surrounding community.
2. Governor John Sevier Highway is designated as a Scenic Highway by the State of Tennessee, which restricts building heights to 35 ft.
3. The subject property has access off of Winkle Lane, an unstriped local street with a pavement width between 14 ft to 17.5 ft that currently provides access to a limited number of properties. Improvements to Winkle Lane may be required to accommodate increased traffic.

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 is designated as two different place types in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The approximately 3.42-acre portion of the property fronting W Governor John Sevier Highway is designated CMU (Corridor Mixed Use), and the rear approximately 3.86-acre portion is designated TN (Traditional Neighborhood).
2. The PR zone is partially related to the CMU and TN place types. The TN place type recommends a housing mix featuring single-family dwellings on small and medium lots, and both place types recommend attached residential uses such as duplexes, multiplexes, and townhouse developments. Additional criteria must be met for partially related zones. The PR zone with up to 5 du/ac meets the first criterion, as the allowable housing types align with the recommended housing mix in both place types.
3. The description of the CMU place requires development to provide connectivity to nearby neighborhoods. The third recommended condition requires street connectivity to the abutting western property and Winkle Lane, subject to review and approval by the Knox County Engineering & Public Works Department. This condition supports the intent of the CMU place type and complies with Implementation Policy 11, to promote connectivity with new development, and Implementation Policy 14, to promote network efficiency to reduce congestion. This condition is further supported by the Knoxville-Knox County Subdivision Regulations 3.04.C, which also recommends street connectivity and an interconnected street system as an important component of sound neighborhood development.
4. The Governor John Sevier Highway Corridor Study recommends a tree protection buffer of 50 ft from the right-of-way. The condition to requiring a tree protection buffer would help ensure development is consistent with the vision for the scenic corridor and complies with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 7, to encourage development practices that conserve and connect natural features and habitat.