Disposition Summary

Approve the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with Knox County Comprehensive Plan and due to the change of conditions in the area.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with Knox County Comprehensive Plan and due to the change of conditions in the area.

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1) Maintain a tree buffer with 50-ft of depth along the Governor John Sevier Highway frontage, except for allowing approved access to Governor John Sevier Highway, as recommended by the Governor John Sevier Highway Corridor Study. High visibility tree protection fencing shall be installed before clearing and grading activities begin and maintained until site and building construction are complete.
2) Ensuring building height within 1,000 ft of W Governor John Sevier Highway shall not exceed 35 ft per TN Scenic Highway Regulations, TN Code § 54-17-115.

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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 COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. A couple of properties just south on John Sevier Highway have been rezoned to PC (Planned Commercial) (5-G-14-RZ/5-D-14-SP) and CA (General Business) (12-A-23-RZ/12-A-23-SP).
2. North along John Sevier Hwy, there are older CA and CB (Business and Manufacturing) zones from 1991 and 1981.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The CA zone is for general retail business and services. The CA zone is consistent with the existing commercial uses in the area.
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 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 proposed rezoning will be consistent with the surrounding area that includes a mix of commercial, light industrial, office, and residential uses.
2. The parcel includes a blue line stream and wetlands along the eastern side. Prior to any vegetation removal and/or grading work, a wetland determination should be conducted to identify the boundaries of the wetlands within the subject parcel unless otherwise instructed by the Knox County Engineering and Public Works department. Any disturbance on this site should comply with the Knox County Stormwater Ordinance Sec. 26-223-(2) (c).

PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS:
1. The proposed CA rezoning is partially related to the CMU (Corridor Mixed-use) place type. Because the CA zone is only partially related, it must meet additional criteria, one of which is for the proposed zoning district to be compatible with the current zoning of adjacent sites. The CA zone is compatible with I (Industrial) and LI (Light Industrial), which have been developed for office uses to the north and south. The A (Agricultural) and HZ (Historical Overlay) zone to the east is a forested portion of the historic Ramsey House property.
2. The East County Community Plan identifies Governor John Sevier Highway as a Development Corridor, which is appropriate for a more intense development pattern. The proposed rezoning to the CA zone is consistent with the plan.
3. The incorporation of landscape screening as a condition of this rezoning is consistent with the Governor John Sevier Highway Corridor Study recommendation for a 50-ft tree protection and landscape buffer.
4. The parcel is within the boundary of the Tennessee Scenic Highway designation, and building height should be no greater than 35 ft above the highway or the ground line of the property. This requirement is reflected in the conditions for approval of this rezoning.
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. The proposed development meets the relevant standards of the Growth Policy Plan.