Disposition Summary

Deny the RA (Low Density Residential) zone due to safety concerns with access.

---

Staff Recommendation

Deny the RA (Low Density Residential) zone due to safety concerns with access.

---

PURSUANT TO THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, ARTICLE 6.30.01, 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 ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. Since the late 1980s, there has been a gradual transition from A (Agricultural) zoning to RA (Low Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential) from up to 3 to 5 du/ac.
2. Development trends in the area have been primarily residential in nature, consisting of single-family houses on a range of lot sizes and duplexes.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The RA zone is intended to provide for areas with low population densities. The RA zone is compatible with the surrounding residential zoning, which consists of properties zoned RA and PR with up to 3 to 5 du/ac.
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 RA zone allows residential and limited civic uses and is consistent with the surrounding development.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AN AMENDMENT.
1. The subject property is accessed from a shared driveway on Blacks Ferry Road, where there is limited sight distance to the east due to a vertical curve on Blacks Ferry Road. The limited sight distance at this site does not support increasing residential intensity.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS.
1. The subject property's place type is SR (Suburban Residential) in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The RA zone is directly related to the SR place type. The housing mix of the SR place type calls for predominantly single-family dwellings with lots smaller than one acre and attached residential dwellings such as duplexes, both of which are permitted in the RA zone.
2. The proposed rezoning is not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 9.3: Focus growth in areas already served by adequate infrastructure. The limited sight distance due to the vertical curve on Blacks Ferry Road does not support a rezoning of this site.
3. The subject property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which encourages a reasonably compact development pattern. The allowable lot sizes and housing types in the RA zone support the intent of the Planned Growth Area.
4. The Knoxville-Knox County Planning Subdivision Regulations require sight distance to be met with subdividing property (Section 3.03 pertaining to access standards, subsections C.6, D.1.c, and Section 3.04 pertaining to streets, subsection J.5 and 6). Subdivision of the property would require a variance, but since it is a safety issue, a variance is unlikely to be supported by staff.