Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5.1 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and the surrounding area.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 5.1 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and the surrounding area.

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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 DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY/COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. Changes in conditions in the area include the E Emory Road widening from 2 to 5 lanes and the addition of sidewalks in 2009.
2. Since 1992, surrounding properties have been transitioning from the A zone to the PR zone with densities ranging from 2-5 du/ac. The surrounding subdivisions are single family residential and townhomes.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The PR zone is intended to provide flexibility for different types of residential development and encourage more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems. A blue line stream is shown on the USGS quad map, making the PR zone an appropriate zone to consider since it allows the clustering of lots.
2. Houses, duplexes, multi-dwelling structures, and developments are permitted in the PR zone.
3. Rezonings should be based on the entire range of uses allowed within a zone to ensure that any development brought forth at a future time would be compatible with the surrounding land uses.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT:
1. The property has access to E Emory Road, a major arterial road, so no additional traffic will be added through neighborhoods.
2. PR zoning requires that development plans be submitted for Planning Commission review. At that time, issues such as topography, surrounding character, and access are evaluated, and community input may be provided regarding the proposed development plan.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN OF KNOXVILLE AND KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS:
1. The property is within the SR (Suburban Residential) place type and SP (Stream Protection) area on the Future Land Use Map. The PR zone is listed as an indirectly related area to the SR place type. When the district is partially related to the place type, one of three conditions shall apply. One of these is that the proposed zoning district is compatible with the current zoning of adjacent sites. PR up to 5.1 du/ac is compatible with the adjacent PR up to 5 du/ac zone to the east and PR up to 4 du/ac to the south.
2. Areas in the SR place type are appropriate for primarily single family residential development with lot sizes generally less than one acre and attached residential, such as duplexes, multiplexes, and townhomes that have the scale of a single family home. These areas may feature a range of lot sizes and housing size and styles. The PR zone allows single family houses, attached and multifamily on a range of lot sizes.
3. The FEMA floodway is on the east side of the property, and a blue line stream is shown on USGS quad map. Because a blue line stream is shown on the USGS quad map, a stream determination would be required during permitting. If it is determined to be a stream, then the appropriate stream buffers would be applied.
4. The proposed rezoning is consistent with Knox County Comprehensive Plan Implementation Policy 5, which creates neighborhoods with a variety of housing types and amenities in close proximity. The PR zone provides flexibility for different types of residential development and is approximately a mile from the Norris Freeway and E Emory Road intersection, which is a large retail area.
5. The property is within the Planned Growth Boundary. The purposes of the Planned Growth Boundary designation are to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote the expansion of the Knox County economy, offer a wide range of housing choices, and coordinate the actions of the public and private sectors, particularly with regard to the provision of adequate roads, utilities, schools, drainage and other public facilities and services. This development is in alignment with these goals.