Disposition Summary

Approve the request for up to 14 overnight accommodations (total) for the Ancient Lore Village rural retreat, as shown on the development plan, subject to 9 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for up to 14 overnight accommodations (total) for the Ancient Lore Village rural retreat, as shown on the development plan, subject to 9 conditions.

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1. Meeting all applicable requirements of the utility provider.
2. All rural retreat use areas must be outside the 200 ft setback unless a reduced setback is agreed to by the adjacent property owner(s) and approved by the Planning Commission. Use areas include buildings, outdoor guest gathering areas, and parking lots. Paths to access use areas associated with the facility, either on the rural retreat parcel(s) or on an adjacent parcel(s), must remain outside the required rural retreat setbacks.
3. The total number of guest accommodations shall not exceed 14.
4. Accommodations are to be made available to participants of events only, not open to the general public as a stand-alone use, per the rural retreat zoning standards (Section 4.104.02.H. and 4.104.03.A.2.).
5. All exterior lighting shall be low voltage, downward casting lights that cut off at 10:00 pm and operate with motion detectors between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am.
6. Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.
7. Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Fire Prevention Bureau.
8. Meeting the plan of operations attached to this application and the conditions of this approval.
9. Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.

With the conditions noted above, the proposed guest accommodations meet the requirements of the A (Agricultural) zone, the rural retreat supplemental regulations, and the criteria for approval of a use on review.

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This proposal is to increase the maximum overnight accommodations from 9 to 14 for Ancient Lore Village. The previous approval (6-D-20-UR) allowed a maximum of 9 guest accommodations, but only 7 were constructed. The location of the 7 new accommodations is west of the main (current) facility.

The rural retreat standards allow a maximum of 10 guest accommodations for the first 20 acres of site area, and additional guest accommodations at a ratio of 1 for every 5 acres of site area, up to a maximum of 50 guest accommodations (Section 4.104.03.A.). The subject site is approximately 41.45 acres, which allows consideration of up to 14 guest accommodations.

BACKGROUND
Ancient Lore Village was approved in June 2020 (6-D-20-UR) with an event facility (pavilion building) for up to 300 guests and a maximum of 9 overnight accommodations. The event facility building was scaled back during permitting only to include the administrative offices, warming kitchen, and laundry services.

LANDSCAPING
The applicant intends to plant approximately 50 seedlings to help shield the new accommodations. Because of the existing vegetation surrounding the new accommodations, staff is not recommending this as a condition of the approval but does encourage the applicant to plant the trees as intended.

SITE LIGHTING
Lighting at the facility has been an ongoing concern of nearby residents. The facility management agreed to turn off site lighting at 10 pm, but the lights will still temporarily turn on with motion sensors from 10 pm to 6 am. The lighting for the new guest accommodations will include low-voltage, downcasting lights, similar to a residential porch light, and minimal pedestrian level path lighting as required by Knox County Building Code.

DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR USES PERMITTED ON REVIEW (ARTICLE 4.10 - SECTION 2)

The planning commission, in the exercise of its administrative judgment, shall be guided by adopted plans and policies, including the general plan and the following general standards:

1) THE PROPOSED USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND SECTOR PLAN.
A. The South County Sector Plan recommends A (Agricultural) uses for this site. The property is zoned A (Agricultural), and guest accommodations can be considered as part of an approved rural retreat.
B. General Plan Policies:
Policy 6.2 -- Compliment natural land forms when grading, and minimize grading on steep slopes and within floodways. - The tree house structures will have minimal impact on the land because they will be built on piers. The other accommodation structure will be built into the slope of the hill, similarly to the existing accommodation structures.
Policy 8.12 -- When commercial uses abut residential property, ordinance provisions or use-on-review conditions requiring fencing, landscaping screens, earth berms, height restrictions, and/or deeper than usual building setbacks can improve land use transitions. - This rural retreat facility is a commercial use that is allowed in the A (Agricultural) zone with Use on Review approval by the Planning Commission. The rural retreat standards require a 200 ft setback from "use" areas to properties zoned agricultural or residential.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
A. With the recommended conditions, the proposed expansion of the rural retreat use for additional guest accommodations meets the standards for rural retreats, the A (Agricultural) zoning, and all other requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.

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 proposed one-story building height and setbacks from the lines are compatible with the area.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY.
A. The location of the new guest accommodations is not near adjacent properties and will have little impact on the traffic generated.

5) THE USE WILL NOT DRAW ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
A. This site is accessed directly from a major collector street (Sevierville Pike).

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 in the area that could be a potential hazard or create an undesirable environment for the proposed uses within the development.