Disposition Summary

Approve the sector plan amendment to the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) land use classification because it is comptaible with surrounding development.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the sector plan amendment to the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) land use classification because it is comptaible with surrounding development.

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PURSUANT TO THE GENERAL PLAN, PLANNING FRAMEWORK CHAPTER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION RESERVES THE AUTHORITY TO RECOMMEND LAND USE PLAN CHANGES BASED ON SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED CONDITIONS. SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED CONDITIONS INCLUDE (may meet any of these):

INTRODUCTION OF SIGNFICIANT NEW ROADS OR UTILITIES THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED IN THE PLAN AND MAKE DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE.
1. Since the Central City Sector Plan was adopted in 2014, there have significant capital improvements in the Fort Sanders neighborhood where the subject property is located. In particular, the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project was completed in 2017 in response to the recommended "road diet" in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Plan, adopted in 2007. Improvements to this main thoroughfare included installing new underground utilities, narrowing Cumberland Avenue from four lanes to three (one of which is a median/turn lane), widening sidewalks, installing street trees and other landscaping, adding street furniture, providing accommodations for transit and transit users and adding new crosswalks. This pedestrian-oriented transformation of Cumberland Avenue significantly changed the character of the neighborhood and made it safer and more walkable for residents.
2. The requested sector plan amendment from the MDR (Medium Density Residential) to the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) land use classification is consistent with improved walkability and utility infrastructure in the neighborhood. The NC land use enables consideration of small-scale service-oriented commercial amenities in a location where they can be easily accessed by an increasing population of surrounding residents.

AN OBVIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE PLAN.
1. The existing MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification in this area of Fort Sanders is inconsistent with the predominant zoning districts of RN-5 (General Residential Neighborhood) and RN-6 (Multi-Family Residential Neighborhood). MDR does not currently permit these more intensive residential districts.
2. The requested NC land use classification would be paired with a rezoning to C-N (Neighborhood Commercial), bringing zoning and land use into alignment on the subject property.

CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT POLICY, SUCH AS A DECISION TO CONCENTRATE DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS.
1. The Fort Sanders community has been one of the fastest growing areas in Knoxville. This can be attributed in part to the Cumberland Avenue Form-Based Code adopted in 2013, as well as specific areas of more intensive residential zoning adopted with the current zoning code in 2020. The ongoing increase in residents and subsequent increase in commercial service demand warrants consideration of this plan amendment to better integrate neighborhood commercial services amd mixed-use development in this populous, walkable residential area.

TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION OR TRAFFIC THAT WARRANT RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN PROPOSAL
1. The Central City Sector Plan describes how this sector comprises approximately 60% of new multi-family construction permits at the time of the plan's adoption in 2014. It goes on to highlight Fort Sanders as one of the areas where the majority of multi-dwelling buildings are being located in this sector. The Fort Sanders neighborhood is one of the most densely populated areas of this City, and the sector plan explains how it is an ideal location for residents due to its proximity to downtown, two regional hospitals and the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee.
2. Since the sector plan was adopted, residential development has continued apace in the Fort Sanders community. Despite this dense and increasing population, neighborhood-scale commercial services targeted to residents have remained limited. Most commercial development has been more intensive and concentrated along the Cumberland Ave corridor west of the University of Tennessee campus.
3. Integrated commercial amenities in the residential areas are so precious that the Fort Sanders Neighborhood Plan, which is incorporated into the Central City Sector Plan, states, "Small 'mom & pop' groceries (e.g. '13th Street' and IGA on 18th Street) are essential and should be continued as commercial uses within the residential districts." The historic IGA grocery store has been closed and vacant for over a decade now. The historic building, built in 1923, is now owned by the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and zoned INST (Institutional), making the return of market services here highly unlikely. Fortunately, the Corner Market on 13th is still in operation. The subject property for this plan amendment request is next to this grocery store across Bridge Avenue.
4. Considering the neighborhood plan's explicit support for maintaining residential commercial services, and the subsequent loss of these services, staff recommends approving the requested sector plan amendment from the MDR land use classification to the NC land use classification. The subject property's location next to one of the few remaining residentially integrated stores and among growing multi-family and student housing could help form a neighborhood commercial node to enhance and preserve this amenity for Fort Sanders residents.