Disposition Summary

Approve the sector plan amendment to the MU-SD, SCO-3 (Mixed Use-Special District, Alcoa Highway Small Area Plan) land use classification for the portion of the lot requested because it is a minor extension of that land use classification.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the sector plan amendment to the MU-SD, SCO-3 (Mixed Use-Special District, Alcoa Highway Small Area Plan) land use classification for the portion of the lot requested because it is a minor extension of that land use classification.

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SECTOR PLAN AMENDMENT REQUIREMENTS FROM GENERAL PLAN (May meet any one of these):

CHANGES OF CONDITIONS WARRANTING AMENDMENT OF THE LAND USE PLAN:
1. Construction of extensive TDOT improvements in this area have been completed and more are underway.
2. Many businesses left the Alcoa Highway corridor during the highway construction, resulting in a multitude of vacancies.
3. The Alcoa Highway Corridor Study was adopted in July 2022 by both the Knox County Commission and the Knoxville City Council.
4. One of the plan's goals included providing a broader array of land uses along Alcoa Highway. This led to an expansion of the MU-SD, SCO-3 (Mixed Use-Special District, Alcoa Highway Small Area Plan) land use classification to the south on city and county properties along Alcoa Highway (approved in December 2022 by the Knox County Commission and in January 2023 by the Knoxville City Council).

INTRODUCTION OF SIGNIFICANT NEW ROADS OR UTILITIES THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED IN THE PLAN AND MAKE DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE:
1. Alcoa Highway improvements constructed within the last few years have granted safer, more limited access to Alcoa Highway via frontage roads along both sides of the highway.

AN OBVIOUS OR SIGNIFICANT ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE PLAN:
1. There are no major errors or omissions in the plan.

TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION OR TRAFFIC THAT WARRANT RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN PROPOSAL:
1. Since 2000, population growth along the Alcoa Highway corridor has remained steady while the rest of Knox County has seen an approximate increase of 20 percent.
2. Vacancy rates for commercial and office uses have increased within the corridor.
3. It is expected that as additional residential dwellings are built within the Alcoa Highway Corridor, commercial and office development would increase correspondingly as new residents would provide a new customer base to support and increase demand for businesses within the area.

State law regarding amendments of the general plan (which includes Sector Plan amendments) was changed with passage of Public Chapter 1150 by the Tennessee Legislature in 2008. The law now provides for two methods to amend the plan at TCA 13-3-304:
- The Planning Commission may initiate an amendment by adopting a resolution and certifying the amendment to the Legislative Body. Once approved by majority vote of the Legislative Body, the amendment is operative.
- The Legislative Body may also initiate an amendment and transmit the amendment to the Planning Commission. Once the Planning Commission has considered the proposed amendment and approved, not approved, or taken no action, the Legislative Body may approve the amendment by majority vote and the amendment is operative.