Disposition Summary

Approve the request for a gas station with up to 12 fueling positions and a convenience store with up to 5,000 sqft of floor area, subject to 8 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for a gas station with up to 12 fueling positions and a convenience store with up to 5,000 sqft of floor area, subject to 8 conditions.

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1. Meeting the commercial districts design standards for the C-N zoning district (Section 5.4, Table 5-2).
2. Meeting the requirements of the principal use standards for gas stations (Article 9.3.O) of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
3. Meeting the requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including but not limited to Article 10 (Site Development Standards), Article 11 (Off-Street Parking), Article 12 (Landscaping), and Article 13 (Signs).
4. Implementation of the recommended improvements outlined in the Shell Food Mart Transportation Impact Study prepared by AJAX Engineering (revised October 23, 2023), and as required by the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). The design details and timing of the installation of the improvements shall be worked out with the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering and TDOT during permitting (see Exhibit A).
5. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections.
6. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.
7. Meeting all applicable requirements of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
8. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.

With the conditions noted above, this request meets the requirements of the C-N zoning district, the principal use standards for gas stations, and the criteria for approval of a special use.

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This proposal is for a gas station with 12 fuel pumps and 5,000 sqft convenience store, with right-in, right-out access to Middlebrook Pike and full access to Lonas Drive.

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

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The subject property is in the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) land use classification in the One Year Plan and Northwest City Sector Plan. The location criteria for automobile-oriented uses in the NC land use (e.g. gas stations or convenience stores) should be located on an arterial street at the edge of neighborhoods.
B. The property is partially located in the HP (Hillside Protection) overlay district, however, it is exempt from those standards since the property had previously been disturbed.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The C-N (Neighborhood Commercial) zoning district is intended to provide for an environment of integrated residential development and small-scale commercial and service uses, predominantly serving nearby residential neighborhoods. Low-intensity mixed-use is encouraged within the C-N District, with dwellings permitted above the ground floor, as well as multi-family and townhouse development located alongside select commercial uses.
B. The subject property is located at the northeastern edge of a residential district along Lonas Drive.

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 subject property is topographically separated from nearby residential uses.
B. There is no consistent architectural character in the vicinity of the subject site.

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 subject property is adjacent to Middlebrook Pike and approximately 500 ft from the I-640 and 0.3 miles from the I-40 and I-640 interchange.
B. The closest residential house to the rear (north) is approximately 30 feet above the finished grade of the gas station.
C. The closest structures to the south were constructed as houses but appear to be used for commercial purposes. Kim Watt Road rises in elevation as it passes the site, providing natural screening to the side and rear of the structure.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. Additional traffic will not be drawn through residential streets because the property has direct access to Middlebrook Pike, a major arterial street, and Lonas Drive, a major collector street. Access to Kim Watt Road is not proposed.

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 immediately surrounding the subject site that poses a potential hazard or undesirable environment for the proposed use.