Disposition Summary

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development, subject to 2 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development, subject to 2 conditions.

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1. Access must be from Ball Road.
2. Maintaining a no-disturbance boundary to the rear of the stream (see the shaded area shown in Exhibit C).

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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. Development trends in the surrounding area have primarily been residential and civic in nature. Since the early 1980s, there has been a gradual transition from I (Industrial) and A (Agricultural) zoning to residential zoning such as RA (Low Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential) with up to 3 to 5 du/ac.
2. The development of a service-oriented commercial node is planned at the intersection of Schaad Road and Bakertown Road, 0.35 miles east of the subject property.
3. The Schaad Road Improvement Project is in progress 0.21 miles west of the subject property. A section of the new Schaad Road extension abuts the subject property on the south side.

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 largely 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 in the future would be compatible with the surrounding land uses. The RA zone allows primarily residential and civic uses, which align with the character of the surrounding area.

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. A blue line stream runs through the south side of the subject property (Exhibit B). A 50-ft stream buffer would likely be required, and any proposed development must comply with the Knox County Stormwater Ordinance.
2. The blue line stream separates the flatter front portion of the property that fronts Ball Road from the steeper rear portion, which has slopes above the 40% range. As part of the Schaad Road Improvement Project, a manufactured ridge was created to support the Schaad Road extension. Due to the steep hill created for the Schaad Road extension, condition #1 recommends requiring driveway access only from Ball Road, and condition #2 recommends no-disturbance beyond the stream, as shown in Exhbit C.
3. There is a closed contour indicating the potential presence of a sinkhole just to the north of the significant slope. A 50-ft buffer around the closed contour would be required unless a geotechnical survey was done showing the area is not a sinkhole.

THE 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 is designated as two different Place Types in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The front portion of the property is within the SR (Suburban Residential) place type, whereas the rear half is within the SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential) place type. The RA zone is directly related to the SR and SMR place types.
2. The SR and SMR place types recommend similar housing mixes, featuring single-family subdivisions with lots smaller than one acre and attached residential developments such as duplexes. The main difference between the two place types is that SMR allows a greater housing mix than SR, including attached housing or small-scale multifamily housing. The RA zone allows single-family detached dwellings by right and duplexes as a use on review. Both of these uses align with the recommended housing mix of the SR and SMR place types.
3. The recommended rezoning complies with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 2, to ensure that new development is sensitive to existing community character. The lot sizes and allowable uses in the RA zone are consistent with those in the surrounding area. The rezoning also complies with Implementation Policy 9, to coordinate infrastructure improvements with development. As previously mentioned, the Schaad Road Improvement Project is underway nearby and aims to improve connectivity and roadway safety in the area.
4. 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.