Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 6 du/ac because it is compatible with changing conditions and surrounding development, subject to 1 condition.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 6 du/ac because it is compatible with changing conditions and surrounding development, subject to 1 condition.

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1. Improving Bradley Lake Lane to current roadway standards from the access point of future development on the subject property to the entrance of the Spring Lake Farm subdivision.

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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. The subject property is located .5 mile southeast of a newly developed portion of Schaad Road, a four-lane minor arterial street with a center median, turn lanes and sidewalks. This new road is due to be complete in Spring of 2025, and it will provide direct access to Oak Ridge Highway to the east and Middlebrook Pike to the west.
2. The area surrounding the subject property has seen a recent increase in residential development. Spring Lake Farms is a single-family subdivision still in development across Bradley Lake Lane to the north. As part of this development, Bradley Lake Lane was expanded from the entrance to the subdivision to its intersection with Amherst Road
3. To the southwest, the Oakleigh residential subdivision was completed in 2019. These adjacent transitions in land use towards residential neighborhoods are consistent with the requested rezoning from the A (Agricultural) to the PR (Planned Residential) zone.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The PR zone is intended to provide optional methods of development that are responsive to environmental challenges on a site. Residential development can be concentrated in the optimal areas of a lot to preserve more ecologically sensitive or unbuildable areas.
2. Most of the subject property is in the Hillside Protection area and is part of a broader region of connected natural open space. There are approximately 8 acres of hillside that have not been previously disturbed, according to historic aerial maps. These conditions support consideration of the PR zone to incentivize preservation of this natural asset in the area.

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. The requested PR density of 9 du/ac far exceeds the residential development that surrounds it, which does not exceed 4 du/ac. Staff recommend a density no greater than 6 du/ac to align with surrounding residential character and to reduce pressure to expand development into the more environmentally sensitive areas of the site.
2. Bradley Lake Lane is a 12-ft wide unstriped road in need of repaving. Condition #1 to improve and widen Bradley Lake Lane from the ingress/egress of future development on the subject property to the entrance of the Spring Lakes Farm subdivision will address traffic safety concerns with future PR development of the property.

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. Rezoning to PR at the requested and recommended density is a partially related zone in the Comprehensive Plan's SR (Suburban Residential) place type designation for this property. It meets the review criteria for partially related zones by being compatible with the current zoning of adjacent sites.
2. The PR zone at a residential intensity of 6 du/ac, with the noted condition for roadway improvement, is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policies 2 and 9. Policy 2 is to ensure that development is consistent with existing community character, and Policy 9 is to coordinate infrastructure improvement with development.
3. This rezoning is consistent with the property's location in the Urban Growth Boundary of the Growth Policy Plan, which is intended to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, offer a wide range of housing choices and coordinate the actions of public and private sectors regarding the provision of adequate roads, utilities drainage and other public facilities and services.