Disposition Summary

Approve the request for a reception facility as depicted on the site plan, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for a reception facility as depicted on the site plan, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including, but not limited to, Article 9.3.X (Principal Use Standards, Reception Facility).
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.

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The applicant is proposing a reception facility with a gross floor area of 10,062 sq ft on this 5.14-acre lot. The facility will primarily be used as a wedding venue, with additional uses including corporate events, private parties, large and small gatherings, and other banquet activities. The applicant has stated that the expected number of events per month will be 8, and the expected number of guests per event will range from 25 to 600. The maximum occupancy will depend on the building code. The hours of operation will be from 10:00 am to 12:59 am on the event days, as specified by the applicant.

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 development is proposed on the flatter portion of the property and largely avoids the vegetated, sloped portion of the rear side. This is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 6.3, which encourages development in areas with the fewest environmental constraints.
B. The proposed use is also consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 8.1, which encourages locating community-serving commercial areas where they can be easily shared by several neighborhoods. The subject property is situated at the edge of the Norwood community and is in close proximity to several other communities, including Cumberland Estates, West Haven Village, and Lonsdale.
C. The One Year Plan's and the Northwest City Sector Plan's LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification is primarily intended for residential development of detached single-family dwellings and duplexes. However, the AG zoning district of the property is consistent with the LDR classification, and the zoning district allows consideration of several nonresidential uses, including a reception facility.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The AG district is intended to permit lands best suited for agriculture to be used for agricultural purposes, prevent the encroachment of incompatible land uses on farm lands, and protect the physical and economic well-being of agricultural operations. Reception facilities may be allowed by special use approval.
B. The proposed reception facility conforms to the dimensional standards of the AG district, such as the maximum building height of 35' as well as the minimum setbacks of 35'. The facility shall adhere to the Principal Use Standards (Article 9.3.X), which prohibit general admission fees or any other monetary donations for entrance to the facility, as stipulated in condition 1. The development also complies with the Hillside Protection Overlay regulations.

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 area comprises a mix of residential, commercial, office, and public-quasi public uses (school and churches. The proposed use is compatible with other residential and nonresidential structures at this node. The scale of the building is comparable to that of nearby churches.

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 facility is not expected to significantly injure the value of any adjacent properties. The development is required to comply with Article 10.2 (Exterior Lighting) and Article 10.5 (Environmental Performance Standards), which regulate light, noise, odor, dust, air pollution, and odor impacts.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. Traffic will be along Merchant Drive and Pleasant Ridge Road, which are both minor arterial streets. Norwood Elementary School is a little over a half-mile away to the northeast on Merchant Drive, but no significant conflicts are expected with school drop-off and pick-up times since wedding events usually occur on weekends.

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 property that would pose a potential hazard or undesirable environment for the proposed use.