Disposition Summary

Approve the RR (Rural Residential) land use classification because it is consistent with surrounding land use and trends in development. The HP (Hillside Protection) area will be retained.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the RR (Rural Residential) land use classification because it is consistent with surrounding land use and trends in development. The HP (Hillside Protection) area will be retained.

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Nature's Best Organics green waste collection and processing facility is located on the eastern portion of this property, on the south side of Copper Ridge. If the PR (Planned Residential) zone is approved as requested, the green waste facility will become a nonconforming use and must comply with Section 3.60. (Nonconforming uses.) of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.

SECTOR PLAN AMENDMENT REQUIREMENTS FROM GENERAL PLAN (May meet one of these):

CHANGES OF CONDITIONS WARRANTING AMENDMENT OF THE LAND USE PLAN:
1. The subject property currently has three sector plan designations: RR (Rural Residential) -- approx. 75.2 acres, RC (Rural Commercial) -- approx. 9.5 acres, and AG (Agricultural) -- appox. 109 acres. This sector plan amendment request for RR (Rural Residential) is only for the approx. 120.6 acres with the AG and RC sector plan designation.
2. The adjacent 67-acre property to the east was approved for RR (Rural Residential) in February 2023 (1-J-23-SP). The adjacent property has access to W. Emory Road.
3. Since the 1990s, there has been significant conversion of farmland to residential development southeast of the subject property along Oak Ridge Hwy and to the east along W. Emory Rd.
4. Much of the surrounding region, which is included in the Rural Area of the Growth Policy Plan, has the land use designation of RR (Rural Residential).
5. These conditions warrant consideration of RR on the subject property as a classification compatible with surrounding land uses.

INTRODUCTION OF SIGNIFICANT NEW ROADS OR UTILITIES THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED IN THE PLAN AND MAKE DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE:
1. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is in the early stages of developing plans to improve the Pellissippi Pkwy and Oak Ridge Hwy interchange to allow westbound traffic on Oak Ridge Hwy to go south on Pellissippi Pkwy. Currently, this westbound traffic must go north into Solway and make a U-turn to go south on Pellissippi Pkwy. There is no current timeframe for when these improvements will be completed.

AN OBVIOUS OR SIGNIFICANT ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE PLAN:
1. It is clear that RR (Rural Residential) is a common designation in this region and could have been considered instead of AG (Agricultural) for the subject property.

TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION OR TRAFFIC THAT WARRANT RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN PROPOSAL:
1. The adjacent property to the east received Concept Plan approval for a 143-lot residential subdivision in April 2023 (4-SC-23-C), and an 82-lot residential subdivision to the southeast was approved in May 2021 (4-SI-21-C). Substantial residential development in the area reflects a trend of increasing focus on residential infrastructure in this historically agrarian area.