Withdrawn

Disposition Summary

Withdrawn

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Details of Action

Withdrawn

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) zone because it is inconsistent with the surrounding area. The TO (Technology Overlay) would be retained.

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This plan was submitted prior to the adoption of the Knox County Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan. The Knox County General Plan, which the sector plans were part of, was the active plan at the time of the application. Therefore, this rezoning request was reviewed under the General Plan.

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. Since 1983, there have been some A to RA and PR rezonings at densities of 1-5 du/ac in the area. The general trend along George Light Rd consists of small and medium-sized lots and single family detached residential houses with large agricultural tracts east. The only office use on George Light is at George Light Rd and Rather Rd which was rezoned from Agricultural to the Scientific Production Zone in 1987 (10-P-87-RZ). This section of George Light Rd is striped and 21 ft in width.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. This zone is intended to provide areas for professional and business offices and related activities that require separate buildings and building groups surrounded by landscaped yards and open areas. The intent herein is to provide centralized, compact locations for business offices, clinics, medical, and dental offices near residential neighborhoods.
2. 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. The OB zone allows any use permitted in the RB zone. The RB zone allows houses, duplexes, and multi dwelling developments up to 12 du/ac by right and up to 24 du/ac through the use on review process and some nonresidential uses. At the density of 12 du/ac on this 6.71-acre property, a maximum of 80 units could be built. At the maximum density of 24 du/ac allowed by the OB zone, a maximum of 161 units could be built.
3. Properties in the TO zone also require TTCDA approval of rezoning requests. This request will be heard at the May 6, 2024 TTCDA meeting (Case 4-A-24-TOR).

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. This property has steep slopes within the Hillside Protection Area that run through the rear of the property. The Hillside Protection area includes 5.7 acres on this 6.71-acre site. The recommended land disturbance according to the Hillside & Ridgetop Protection Plan is 3.6 acres.
2. The Hardin Valley Mobility Plan was created in 2019. George Light Road, an unstriped 16 ft local road, has implemented the Right-In, Right-Out Safety Measure Project (S-14) to improve safety for the existing community. Road improvements would need to be done in order to accommodate medium density residential or office uses.

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 OB zone is consistent with the NWCO-7 Mixed Use Special District, which allows consideration of the Medium Density Residential and Office land use classifications in the Northwest County Sector Plan, which in turn allows consideration of up to 12 du/ac in the County's Planned Growth Area.
2. This property is in the Technology Overlay. All developments other than single family residences and duplexes require TTCDA (Tennessee Technology Corridor Development Authority) design guideline review.
3. The proposed OB rezoning introduces more intensive uses and higher densities that are not consistent with the General Plan's development policy 9.3 to ensure that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities, or policy 11.5 to avoid abrupt, incompatible changes in density, scale, and building appearance from one development to another.


ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
While the Sector Plan was the active plan at the time of the request, the Knox County Comprehensive Plan became effective on April 26th. This property has the SR (Suburban Residential) place type, which does not allow OB zone, but does allow consideration of the PR zone with a density of up to 12 du/ac.