Disposition Summary

Deny the RB (General Residential) zone because it is too intensive with the environmental constraints on site.

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the RB (General Residential) zone because it is too intensive with the environmental constraints on site.

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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 DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY/COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. In August of 2025, the subject property was approved for a rezoning from A (Agricultural) to the RA (Low Density Residential) zone with the condition that there be only one vehicle access point to Brakebill Road. This current application is for consideration of the more intensive RB (General Residential) zone, and the applicant does not object to the existing access condition.
2. A neighboring property to the north at 317 Brakebill Road was rezoned to PR (Planned Residential) with a density of up to 7 du/ac in 2022. A plan for an attached residential subdivision with a density of 6.4 du/ac called Suncrest Estates was approved the same year and is under construction now. Abutting that property to the north is another small multifamily development called Suncrest Apartments, which was completed around 2007. Other tracts along Brakebill Road between Asheville Highway and Strawberry Plains Pike have been developed under the PR zone with permitted densities ranging from 3 to 9 du/ac, though the general area retains a rural character with farmland and forest comprising most of the land area around this corridor.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The RB zone is intended for medium density residential development with land uses that range from single-family to multifamily dwellings. This zone permits a density of 12 du/ac by right, and 24 du/ac through Use on Review.
2. The subject property is bisected by a branch of Sinking Creek, making more intensive residential development challenging to accommodate. A 50-ft stream buffer would be required, which significantly limits the functionality of the site for multifamily development.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT:
1. RB zoning could result in a scale and massing of development that is out of character with the surrounding residential and rural context. RB zoning has no maximum height for multifamily buildings, and, given the site constraints with the stream, the max density of 12 du/ac permitted by right could be pursued with multi-story buildings that would be an outlier among surrounding development.

THE 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 RB zone is directly related to the SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential) place type designation in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan.
2. The RB zone in this location would conflict with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 2, to ensure that development is sensitive to existing community character.
3. This rezoning is permissible per the subject property's location in the Urban Growth Boundary of the Growth Policy Plan.
4. This property is designated as a "rural area" of the East Knox County Community Plan, which is a plan that emphasizes protecting the rural character of this area. A rezoning to RB would conflict with the intent of this adopted plan.