To be heard November 12, 2026Agenda Item No. 16

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for three two-family dwellings as depicted on the site plan, subject to 4 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Engineering Department.
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Plans Review and Inspections Department.
4) subdividing the property into separate lots as shown on the site plan and meeting all applicable requirements of the platting process and Subdivision Regulations.

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The applicant proposes subdividing two parcels, totaling 1.97 acres, into four lots for three new two-family dwellings and one existing house. An access easement is proposed off W Ford Valley Drive for the three duplexes. The two-story structures have a footprint of 1,700 sq ft and feature one bedroom on the main floor and two on the upper floor.

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 request is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 8.1, which encourages growth in the existing urban area through infill housing opportunities.
B. The proposed use is consistent with the North City Sector Plan's and One Year Plan's LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification, which is intended for single-family dwellings and duplexes.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-2 district is intended to accommodate low density single-family residential development on relatively small lots with smaller setbacks. Two-family dwellings may be allowed by special use approval.
B. The proposed lots meet the minimum lot area and lot width requirements of the RN-2 district. The site plan and building elevations as provided conform to the dimensional standards (Article 4.3) and the Principal Use Standards (Article 9.3.J). For example, elevations facing W Ford Valley Road and Neubert Springs Road both meet the 15% minimum transparency requirement and include architectural elements to avoid the appearance of blank walls.

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 property is located at the edge of the Colonial Village neighborhood, which is primarily composed of single-family dwellings. The proposed use is compatible with houses, and the scale of the two-story structures is generally consistent with other residential structures in this area.

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 proposed development is not expected to significantly injure the value of any adjacent properties.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The proposed duplexes are not expected to draw substantial traffic through residential streets.
The property is located at an intersection of two collector streets, W Ford Valley Road and Neubert Spring Road, which provide easy access to major throughfares such as Chapman Highway, W Martin Mill Pike, and W Governor John Sevier Highway within 1.5 miles.

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. The uses immediately surrounding the subject property will not pose a potential hazard or undesirable environment.