Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 3 du/ac because it is consistent with Growth Policy Plan guidelines and surrounding development trends, subject to one condition.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 3 du/ac because it is consistent with Growth Policy Plan guidelines and surrounding development trends, subject to one condition.

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1) The portion of the parcel delineated in Exhibit B with slopes of 25% or greater shall be left undisturbed.

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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 COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. The subject property is located in an area with a moderate rate of farmland conversion to residential development.
2. The commercial area on Oak Ridge Hwy in Solway is just west of the subject site. The CR (Rural Commercial) zoning on the subject property was approved because of the commercial sales at Nature's Best Organics green waste facility.
3. The PC (Planned Commercial) zoning on the western portion of the property was once on the entire property before several rezonings, resulting in the current zoning. This portion of the property has poor access and steep slopes, which are not conducive to commercial development.
4. TDOT is in the initial plan development stages for improving the Oak Ridge Hwy and Pellissippi Pkwy interchange. There is no current timeframe for this project.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The PR zone is intended to provide for creative responses to environmental constraints on a property. It permits clustering of residential density in order to preserve environmentally sensitive areas and maximize development potential on optimal portions of a property.
2. The property is almost entirely within the HP (Hillside Protection) area with the steepest slopes concentrated on the north side of the property. The PR zone is an appropriate consideration in this context because it enables concentrated development away from the ridgeline.
3. The applicant has requested a density up to 3 du/ac, which is the maximum density allowed in the Rural Area of the Growth Policy Plan. The requirements to allow 3 du/ac are as follows: 1) the property must be zoned PR, 2) public water and sewer must be available, 3) connecting collector or arterial from the development to the Urban Growth Boundary or the Planned Growth Boundary must meet the standards Knox County Engineering, and 4) providing a traffic impact analysis demonstrating that the development will not unreasonably impair traffic flow along arterials.
This rezoning request meets these criteria for 3 du/ac because the property would be zoned PR, public utilities are available, Joe Daniels Rd connects directly to Oak Ridge Hwy, which is an arterial street, and the traffic impact letter was determined not to be necessary because the planned growth area is on the south side of Oak Ridge Hwy, which is an arterial street.

THE 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. Approximately one-fourth (45 acres) of the subject property is a steep-sloped, undisturbed forest of Copper Ridge. This section of the parcel runs along the northern half of the property. The ridge borders the Clinch River, which is classified as an impaired waterway due to stormwater runoff and other pollution sources.
2. Clearing and grading this steep-sloped portion of the property could result in erosion, increased stormwater pollution, damage to the scenic character of this rural area, habitat loss and other degradations of the region. Considering these adverse effects, staff recommends approving the PR zone at the requested density on the condition that the area with the highest concentration of slopes of 25% or higher be left undisturbed, as shown in Exhibit B. This condition is supported by the following development policies of the General Plan: 1) Rigorously enforce zoning regulations and conditions of approval to maintain public confidence in the planned development process (10.4), 2) Encourage development practices that respect and fit the natural landscape, minimizing the loss of trees, woodlands and wildlife habitat (9.2), and 3) Provide incentives for conservation subdivisions, to set aside large portions of open space and protect natural resources.
3. The PR zone requires development plan approval by the Planning Commission prior to construction. This will allow staff to review the plan and address issues such as traffic circulation, lot layout, drainage and other potential development concerns. It will also provide the opportunity for public input at the Planning Commission meeting.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN OF KNOXVILLE AND KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS:
1. The proposed PR zone at a density of 3 du/ac is consistent with the recommended RR land use classification amendment to the Northwest County Sector Plan.
2. With adherence to the noted condition, the proposed rezoning is consistent with the General Plan and the Growth Policy Plan.
3. The requested rezoning does not conflict with any other adopted plans.