Approve the RN-3 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is compatible with surrounding development and consistent with adopted land use plans. The HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) would be retained.

Disposition Summary

Approve the RN-3 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is compatible with surrounding development and consistent with adopted land use plans. The HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) would be retained.

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Details of Action

Approve the RN-3 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is compatible with surrounding development and consistent with adopted land use plans. The HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) would be retained.

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the RN-3 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is incompatible with surrounding development and inconsistent with adopted land use plans. The HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) would be retained.

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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. The subject property is located in a region of East Knoxville comprised of single family detached dwelling neighborhoods, which have remained unchanged for several decades.
2. There is a planned capital improvement project to add sidewalk infrastructure to the section of Boyds Bridge Pike the subject property accesses. Currently the project is in the phase of being bid out for design. If implemented, this improvement would connect this lot to existing sidewalk infrastructure on Brooks Avenue, which leads all the way to downtown. It would also provide walkable access to a bus stop at the corner of Boyds Bridge Pike and Brooks Avenue.
3. While a new sidewalk connection could be a significant change of conditions, the capital project is not yet scheduled for implementation. Given the surrounding context of longstanding single-family detached lots among wooded hillside, conditions in this area have not changed to a degree that supports the intensity of development that could be permitted under the requested RN-3 (General Residential Neighborhood) zoning district.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The RN-3 district is intended to accommodate medium density residential neighborhoods characterized by single family and duplex homes. Townhouses may be allowed by special use approval to facilitate a more urban development form.
2. Most of the subject property is mature forest and more than half of the lot is within the HP (Hillside Protection Overlay) with steep slopes. Surrounding zoning is almost entirely comprised of the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district. This location is inconsistent with the intent of the RN-3 district. It is not a medium density residential neighborhood, and topography is not conducive to medium density residential development.

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. A key distinction between the existing RN-1 district and the requested RN-3 district is that under RN-1, duplexes are only permitted through Special Use approval by the Planning Commission, and in RN-3 they are permitted by right on minimum lot sizes of 7,500 square feet, which is half of the lot area required in RN-1. The subject property is approximately 13.09 acres, so a maximum of 152 duplex units could be permitted. Townhouses may also be considered in RN-3 through Special Use review.
2. In addition to this intensity of development being out of character with surrounding neighborhoods, residential development under RN-3 zoning could have a negative impact on the existing street infrastructure and traffic conditions. The property accesses Boyds Bridge Pike at a curve where sight distance appears to be limited. It is also near a five-lane stop-sign intersection that is not well-designed for a large influx of vehicular traffic.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY GENERAL PLAN AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS, INCLUDING ADOPTED SECTOR PLANS, CORRIDOR PLANS, AND RELATED DOCUMENTS.
1. The requested RN-3 district is not permitted under the current LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification for this property in the East City Sector Plan and One Year Plan, and staff do not recommend plan amendments to accommodate the rezoning. The MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification location criteria are not all being met by this property. The lot is not in a transitional area between more intensive non-residential uses and low density residential neighborhoods, and it is also not a site with less than 15 percent slopes.
2. Rezoning this lot to RN-3 would be inconsistent 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. The scale of new development could be out of character with surrounding neighborhoods, and the associated vehicular increase could negatively affect traffic flow and safety in the area.

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. The subject property is in an urbanized area that has ample utility and community facility infrastructure to support a modest increase in residential development. The property has close proximity to Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Elementary School, the Knoxville Botanical Gardens, sidewalk infrastructure, and transit.
2. The existing street infrastructure is ill-suited for the level of residential intensity that could be permitted under the RN-3 district.