Disposition Summary

Approve the request for an open pavilion at a place of worship in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential) district, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for an open pavilion at a place of worship in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential) district, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Engineering Department.
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections Department.

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This request is for the construction of a 30ft x 60ft open pavilion on the Knoxville First Church of God campus in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) zoning district. The pavilion will be located behind the church and next to the parking lot and playground. The existing sidewalk along the parking lot will be extended along the border of the parking lot to serve the pavilion.

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 subject property's land use classification in the One Year Plan and the West City Sector Plan is LDR (Low Density Residential). This classification is consistent with the RN-1 zoning district, which permits the expansion of a place of worship through special use review and approval.
B. The General Plan's development policy 6.2 describes complementing natural land forms when grading, and minimizing grading on steep slopes and within floodways. The proposed location of the open pavilion avoids the steep-sloped portions of the property on the southeast side, and is a substantial distance from the blue-line stream at the southeast corner of the lot.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The location, size and scale of the proposed open pavilion meet the dimensional standards of the RN-1 district, including maximum building height and setback requirements.
B. There are accessory structures and use standards for a freestanding roofed structure, pergola or gazebo delineated in Article 10.3.O of the zoning code. The proposed pavilion's location in the rear yard with a setback that exceeds 5ft from the side or rear lot line, and its compliance with the RN-1 district's corner side setback requirement, conform with these accessory use standards.

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 VICNITY.
A. As stated, the proposed pavilion will be located behind the church building and not easily visible from the street. Its size and scale is compatible with surrounding residential development. It is noteworthy that this property has functioned as a church campus since at least 1974, making its presence an established part of the character of the neighborhood.

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 use is not anticipated to have a noxious or otherwise negative impact on adjacent property. The closest neighboring properties to the pavilion are single-family residential lots that were recently constructed to the east. They share rear lot lines with the subject property's side lot line. The side setback of the pavilion is over 33ft, which is much greater than the 5ft side setback required for this accessory use. During construction of the residential subdivision to the east, a wooden privacy fence was installed along this shared lot line, which will provide a buffer between residents and activity in the pavilion.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The open pavilion is intended to serve the existing church, and it is not expected to bring significant additional traffic through this residential area. The property accesses Westland Drive, which is a classified minor arterial street.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POST A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AND UNDESIRABLE LOCATION FOR THE PROOSED USE.
A. There are no apparent hazards in the surrounding environment that would pose a risk to the open pavilion in its proposed location.