Disposition Summary

Approve the request for two two-family dwellings in the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district, subject to 4 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for two two-family dwellings in the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district, subject to 4 conditions.

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1) Prior to obtaining a building permit, subdividing the property into two lots meeting all applicable requirements of the standard platting process and the Subdivision Regulations.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Engineering Department.
4) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Plans Review and Inspections Department.

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The applicant proposes to subdivide the 20,250-sq ft parcel into equal sized lots to have two identical duplexes on each lot. The RN-2 district does not allow multiple principal structures on a single lot, so the property will need to be subdivided to accommodate the proposed duplexes. Each unit of the two-story structures has three bedrooms and an attached garage.

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 proposed use is consistent with the General Plan's development policy 8.1 that encourages growth in the existing urban area through infill housing opportunities.
B. A two-family dwelling, which is considered low-density residential use, is consistent with the North City Sector Plan's LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification.
C. The proposed use is consistent with the One Year Plan's location criteria for a duplex as the property is located at an intersection of a minor arterial (Cedar Lane) and major collector street (Inskip Road).
D. The Inskip Small Area Plan (2011) states that duplexes and apartment buildings make up 56 percent of the housing units in this area (p. 9). The omission of this parcel from the proposed downzoning in the small area plan indicates the plan considered multiple dwelling units appropriate for this property (Neighborhood Conservation Concept, p. 21 - 24).

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-2 district is intended to accommodate low density single-family residential development on relatively small lots with smaller setbacks. Two-family dwellings may be allowed by special use approval.
B. The RN-2 district requires a minimum lot size of 10,000 sq ft for two-family dwellings and the proposed lots meet the requirement. The site plan and building elevations as provided conform to the dimensional standards (Article 4.3) and the Principal Use Standards (Article 9.3.J) for duplexes in the RN-2 district.
C. The proposed northern driveway does not meet the 150-ft corner clearance requirement; however, the City of Knoxville Engineering department has approved the proposed layout according to Article 11.7.B.1 and 11.1.A.2 since the proposed layout is relatively safer than having a single shared entrance point for these four units on this winding portion of the road.

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 use will be compatible with the character of this part of Inskip Neighborhood, which includes a mix of houses, duplexes, and multifamily developments. Several nearby parcels have apartment complexes that are more intense than the proposed duplex development.
B. The proposed two-story structures will be consistent in size and scale with the wide range of housing forms in the surrounding area.

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. Two-family dwellings are considered low-density residential uses and are compatible with other residential uses in the vicinity.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. Two duplexes are not expected to significantly impact traffic on surrounding streets. As mentioned before, both Cedar Lane and Inskip Road are classified streets.

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.