To be heard May 14, 2026Agenda Item No. 6

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the RN-4 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is inconsistent with the LDR land use classification and does not meet all of the criteria for a rezoning.

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PURSUANT TO THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECTION 16.1.E, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR ALL REZONINGS:

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. There have been no significant development changes in this area. The pervasive development pattern is more intensive, attached residential developments are located directly off of the major arterials in the area. These occur predominantly on Middlebrook Pike to the south, but also occur off of Piney Grove Church Road to the north.
2. Other residential developments in the larger surrounding occurred more than 10 years ago and are accessed off of arterial streets, such as Middlebrook Pike, Francis Road, and Helmbolt Road. In the more immediate area, the only major residential development occurred over 17 years ago (Kirkwood subdivision), which is also accessed off an arterial (Middlebrook Pike).
3. At the time of adopting the current zoning ordinance, several nearby properties were designated as the RN-4 zoning district. However, other than the lots created in the Chatham Village subdivision to the north, surrounding properties are aligned with the RN-2 (Single Family Residential Neighborhood) district's minimum lot area requirements and could have been designated as such, which would have been consistent with the LDR land use classification. An extension of the RN-4 district runs counter to the recommendations of the sector plan and is not consistent with the surrounding development pattern in the immediate vicinity.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The requested RN-4 district is intended to accommodate mixed medium density residential development within the City of Knoxville that includes single-family, two-family, townhouse, and low-rise multi-family dwellings.
2. While the area has a mix of residential uses, including houses, duplexes, townhouses, and small multi-family developments, the 30,739-sq ft subject parcel could yield up to 15 multifamily units with the requested RN-4 district, which would be inconsistent with the area. As mentioned previously, the more intensive development types occur on arterial streets and not within established, single family residential developments on local roads.
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.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT.
1. Considering the maximum development potential of the RN-4 district, the property could be developed in a manner that is incompatible with the abutting houses and the surrounding mix of small-scale residential developments.

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 requested RN-4 district is not consistent with General Plan Development Policy 9.3, to ensure the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities, since it would allow more intensive housing than the surrounding area. The existing house on the property is of similar scale to other residential uses on Granda Avenue.
2. The RN-4 district is inconsistent with the LDR land use classification of the Northwest County Sector Plan and One Year Plan, and staff does not support its amendment to MDR.

ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, ROADS, SANITARY SEWERS, AND WATER LINES, OR ARE REASONABLY CAPABLE OF BEING PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IF THE AMENDMENT WERE ADOPTED:
1. Bearden Middle School is located within a mile, but nearby streets do not have sidewalk connections. The nearest bus route is on Middlebrook Pike which is 0.4 miles to the south and features a mix of commercial, office, and public-quasi public land uses.
2. This is an urbanized area with adequate utility infrastructure provided by KUB.