Disposition Summary

Approve the C-H-2 (Highway Commercial) zoning district because it is consistent with the City of Knoxville's One Year Plan and surrounding development.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the C-H-2 (Highway Commercial) zoning district because it is consistent with the City of Knoxville's One Year Plan and surrounding development.

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PURSUANT TO THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECTION 16.1.E, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR ALL REZONINGS:

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY GENERALLY
1. Since the early 1980s, development trends in the surrounding area included a mix of uses. The area east of N Northshore Drive is predominantly residential and civic, with commercial developments concentrated near major thoroughfares. In contrast, the area west of N Northshore Drive, where the subject property is situated, primarily features commercial, office, and limited multi-family developments.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THIS CODE.
1. The C-H zoning district is intended to accommodate higher-intensity commercial uses of a predominantly auto-oriented character, including retail, rental, and service establishments. The subject property meets the description of the C-H-2 district, as it is adjacent to the I-40/1-75 interstate and within the commercial corridor along Papermill Drive.
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 C-H-2 district is compatible with the surrounding zoning districts, which include the C-H-2, C-G-3 (General Commercial), and O (Office) districts.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT.
1. The C-H-2 district is consistent with the surrounding developments in the area, which primarily include commercial, office, and higher-intensity residential uses. The C-H-2 district also has regulations in place that are intended to ensure the mitigation of any potential impacts on neighboring uses.
2. The existing and proposed districts have design standards intended to foster attractive development that is compatible with the surrounding environment by regulating items such as building materials, visual elements, and pedestrian access. Both districts must adhere to the same façade and commercial site design standards outlined in Article 5, Section 5.4 of the City of Knoxville's Zoning Ordinance. The C-H-2 district has fewer fenestration requirements, but the reduced fenestration design standards are not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY GENERAL PLAN AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS, INCLUDING ADOPTED SECTOR PLANS, CORRIDOR PLANS, AND RELATED DOCUMENTS.
1. The subject property is within the Papermill Corridor Mixed Use Special District (MU-WC-2) of the West City Sector Plan and One Year Plan. The Papermill Corridor calls for higher-intensity residential and commercial uses as appropriate future land uses for this area. As such, the C-H-2 zoning district is supported by this plan, as it permits higher-intensity residential uses and is intended to accommodate commercial uses of a predominantly auto-oriented character.
2. The rezoning supports the General Plan's Development Policy 9.3, to ensure that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities. The dimensional standards and allowable uses in the C-H-2 district align with the neighboring land uses, which consist primarily of office, retail, dining, and lodging establishments.

WHETHER ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, ROADS, SANITARY SEWERS, STORM SEWERS, AND WATER LINES, OR ARE REASONABLY CAPABLE OF BEING PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IF THE AMENDMENT WERE ADOPTED.
1. This is an urbanized area with ample utility and facility infrastructure to support a rezoning of this site.