To be heard December 11, 2025Agenda Item No. 24

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding area.

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PURSUANT TO THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, ARTICLE 16.30.01, 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. Changes in conditions in the area include the Schaad Road extension and the planned addition of a signalized intersection at Johnson Road and Schaad Road. The Schaad Road project consists of a four-lane, median-divided section with bike lanes and sidewalks, while Johnson Road is a local road that connects Ball Camp Pike to Schaad Road.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The RA zone provides for residential areas with low population densities. The RA zone allows single-family houses with sewer on 10,000 sq ft lots and duplexes on 12,000 sq ft lots with Use on Review approval by the Planning Commission.
2. Rezonings should be based on the entire range of uses allowed within a zone to ensure that any development brought forth at a future time would be compatible with the surrounding land uses.

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. The property has access off a major collector street so traffic through residential streets would not be required to access this property.

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 property is within the SR (Suburban Residential) place type and is considered directly related, meaning the zoning district is appropriate to implement the place type.
2. This request brings the zoning into compliance with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, as the current A zoning is not a zone that can be considered under the SR place type. The SR place type calls for primarily single family residential development, and secondary uses include attached dwellings that have the scale of a single family home. The RA zone allows single family homes and duplexes.
3. The proposed rezoning to RA aligns with Implementation Policy 2 of the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, to ensure that development is sensitive to existing community character. RA is consistent with the approved duplex development to the west, Amherst Springs Townhomes and the detached and attached residential subdivision to the east, Spring Lake Farms.
4. The rezoning is aligned with the property's location in the Urban Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan and is consistent with the policies related to the Urban Growth Area.