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Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends the following actions on the required waivers from the Design Guidelines:

1) Approve the waiver to reduce the front setback when parking in the front yard from 60 ft to 56.

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3 ft to avoid encroaching on the drainage easement and because the request does not significantly deviate from the design standards.
2) Approve the waiver to reduce the required front property line landscaper buffer for Building A from 20 ft to 16.4 ft to avoid encroaching on the drainage easement.
3) Approve the waiver to reduce the required front property line landscape buffer from 20 ft to 9 ft for Building B to avoid encroaching on the drainage easement.

Staff recommends approval of this request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a building permit, subject to four conditions:

1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.
3) Obtaining TTCDA approval of signage in a separate application if signage is desired in the future.

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The applicant is requesting approval for two office warehouse buildings. Building A will be 11,700 sq ft, and Building B will be 11,600 sq ft, totaling 23,300 of new building area on this property.

PURSUANT TO ARTICLE V, SECTION 2 OF THE TTCDA ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND PROCEDURES, THE DECISION OF THE TTCDA TO APPROVE REQUESTS FOR BUILDING PERMIT CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS MUST BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

A. CONFORMITY OF THE PROPOSAL WITH THE TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR DESIGN GUIDELINES.
1) The property has driveway access from Checkerboard Lane. Building A is positioned at an angle relative to the right-of-way near the property's western side, and Building B is oriented parallel to Checkerboard Lane.
2) There are two loading docks. The loading dock at Building A is oriented toward the driveway entrance, while the loading dock at Building B faces Building A and runs parallel to the right-of-way. Four evergreen trees will be planted in the front yard of Building A to help screen the loading dock from the street. The retaining wall and office building will shield the loading dock at Building B.
3) The proposed Ground Area Coverage (GAC), Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and Impervious Area Ratio (IAR) comply with the Design Guidelines.
4) The TTCDA Guidelines require a minimum of 12 parking spaces and a maximum of 18 spaces per building. The applicant is proposing 12 spaces for Building A and 13 spaces for Building B, which meet the minimum parking requirements.
5) The building façade is designed with charcoal gray metal panels on all sides. The entrance to the office building features a brick veneer with a stone veneer trim along the foundation, complemented by an aluminum canopy. While using metal panels and masonry blocks is allowed, it is generally discouraged. Foundation planting can soften the façade and reduce the visual impact of the materials used. The landscape plans include Spartan Junipers and Dwarf Crepe Myrtles in the landscape bedding along the building foundation, which is recommended for exposed walls to help soften the long, unbroken façade.
6) The applicant is requesting a waiver from Guideline 1.4.1 to reduce the front setback when parking is in the front of the yard from 60 ft to 56.3 ft for Building A. The waiver was requested due to the positioning of the building to avoid encroaching into the drainage easement. Furthermore, moving the building back from the right-of-way would require waivers from the side and rear setback requirements. Planning supports the requested waiver as the minimal reduction would limit disturbance near the drainage easement.
7) The applicant is requesting a waiver from Guideline 1.7.9 and Guideline 3.1.8 to reduce the required front property line landscape buffer from 20 ft to 16.4 ft for Building A and a reduction from 20 ft to 9 ft for Building B. The waiver was requested due to the existing swale, storm drain system, and drainage easement behind the proposed development. Planning supports the waiver to reduce the landscape buffers for Buildings A and B to prevent encroaching on the existing swale and storm drain system. All other landscape guidelines have been met, including planting around 50% of the building and landscaping at the entrances and parking lots.
8) No lighting is proposed for this development.
9) No signage is proposed at this time. Should signage be desired in the future, it would need to be submitted in a separate application at a future time.

B. CONFORMITY OF THE PROPOSAL WITH THE KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY MINIMUM SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS AND EITHER THE KNOXVILLE ZONING ORDINANCE, OR THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, AS APPROPRIATE.
1) The 4.4-acre site is zoned CB (Business and Manufacturing) and TO (Technology Overlay). Office warehouses are allowed in the CB zone.
2) The applicant is requesting approval for two office warehouse buildings with a total building area of approximately 35,420 sq ft. The applicant is not subdividing, and the zone allows more than one primary use of a lot.

C. EFFECT OF THE PROPOSAL ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, SURROUNDING PROPERTY AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
1) The subject property is surrounded by similar warehouse and office uses. The existing vegetation on the north side of the subject property is dense and is to be preserved, providing a visual buffer.

D. CONSISTENCY OF THE PROPOSAL WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF KNOX COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AS APPROPRIATE.
1) Access would be off of Checkerboard Lane and meet the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works standards.
2) Knox County Engineering's stormwater division had no comments on the plans. A stormwater detention area on the lot to the northwest is deemed sufficient to serve the proposed development.