Disposition Summary

Approve the request for the expansion of a place of worship, subject to 4 conditions.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for the expansion of a place of worship, subject to 4 conditions.

---

1. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including, but not limited to, Article 12 (Landscape).
2. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Urban Forestry Division.
3. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections.
4. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.

---

This request is to expand the existing 1865-sq ft church structure to 5,295-sq ft and expand the parking lot to provide a total of 36 parking spaces. The expanded church will accommodate 144 seats in the main assembly room. The existing driveway will be upgraded to meet Engineering standards.

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 proposed church expansion is not expected to adversely impact any existing neighborhoods and communities, which is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 9.3.
B. The proposed use is not in conflict with the One Year Plan's and East City Sector Plan's LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification, which recommends residential zoning districts that all permit consideration of the use of a place of worship.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-1 district is intended to accommodate traditional low density residential neighborhoods, exhibiting a predominant development pattern of single-family homes on relatively large lots and with generous setbacks. A place of worship is allowed with special use approval.
B. The proposed development meets all applicable dimensional standards of the RN-1 districts. The site plan shows a 10-ft Class A landscape buffer along the property's periphery. All required landscaping shall be provided during the permitting phase and reviewed by the City's Urban Forestry division to ensure compliance with Article 12.5 (Parking Lot Perimeter Landscape Yard), Article 12.6 (Interior Parking Lot Landscape), Article 12.7 (Site Landscape), and Article 12.8 (Buffer Yards).

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. A church has operated at this location since the 1990s, and the proposed expansion is consistent with the character of this segment of Washington Pike, which features a school, several places of worship, and multifamily developments interspersed with single-family dwellings.
B. The proposed 26-ft height is compatible with the 1-2-story heights of existing residential and nonresidential structures nearby.

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 expansion is not expected to have any significant adverse impacts on adjacent properties. Landscaping will be required to screen parking areas. A detention pond is proposed along the property frontage to mitigate the impact of additional impervious surface.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The subject property is accessed via Washington Pike, a minor arterial street, and the proposed use is not expected to draw substantial traffic through local residential streets.

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 or environmental factors immediately surrounding the subject property that would pose a potential hazard or have an undesirable impact on the proposed use.