Disposition Summary

Approval of an amendment to the Knoxville City Code, Appendix B, Zoning Code, Article 5.4, adding Commercial District Design Standards in the C-G-1 (General Commercial) Zoning District and clarifying the applicable design standards for residential structures.

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Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of an amendment to the Knoxville City Code, Appendix B, Zoning Code, Article 5.4, adding Commercial District Design Standards in the C-G-1 (General Commercial) Zoning District and clarifying the applicable design standards for residential structures.

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The City Council adopted Resolution R-73-2021, requesting the Planning Commission consider and make recommendations to the City Council regarding adding architectural design standards to the C-G-1 zoning district.

C-G General Commercial Zoning District
The purpose of the C-G General Commercial Zoning District is "to provide for a heterogeneous mix of retail, personal service, office, and residential uses within and along Knoxville's commercial nodes and corridors. The C-G District is intended to promote mixed-use development in a pedestrian-oriented environment that recalls the City's traditional business districts, and offers flexibility in the creation of integrated commercial, office and residential spaces. The C-G District is divided into three levels of intensity related to the overall form and design of the development; however, uses are the same across all levels."

As referenced in the purpose statement above, the C-G District is divided into three levels of intensity related to the overall form and design of the development. These levels are designated as the C-G-1, C-G-2, and C-G-3 Districts, with the C-G-1 District being the lowest intensity. The main factor in the level of intensity is the maximum building height. The C-G-2 and C-G-3 Districts have dimensional standards that require portions of buildings to be located close to front and side streets (build-to zone and build-to percentage) that are not required in the C-G-1 District and are not proposed to be added with these amendments. The C-G-1 District allows structures to be located anywhere on the lot, with the exception of setbacks when abutting a residential district. Buildings in the C-G-1 District could be located close to the street in the same manner as those in the C-G-2 and C-G-3 Districts.

Design Standards - Article 5.4.A.1. and Table 5-2
The Commercial Districts Design Standards listed in Table 5-2 apply to new construction and to any addition that exceeds 30 percent or more of the existing structure's square footage. A summary of the design standards that apply to the C-G-2 and C-G-3 Districts is listed below. See Exhibit A for the full text.

Façade Design
These standards prohibit blank building facades that face a public road and require material/texture/wall articulation on long facades, sidewalk connection from the main entrance of the building to the road, and building materials and visual elements to continue on all facades visible from a public road.

Fenestration Design
The ground floor front façade is required to have 30 percent transparency between two and ten feet in height from the finished grade and 15 percent transparency of the wall area on the upper floors.

Commercial Site Design
The site must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian access from the public right-of-way and through the site, and a cohesive character must be established through the use of hardscape and landscape treatments throughout the development.

Building Material Restrictions - Article 5.4.B.
This subsection applies to the same districts as those in Table 5-2. Restricted building materials are prohibited on any façade facing a public road or any façade that abuts a residential district. However, such materials may still be used as decorative or detail elements for up to 25 percent of the façade, or as part of the exterior construction that is not used as a surface finish material. The restricted materials include plain concrete masonry units (CMU); aluminum, steel, or other metal siding, excluding metal architectural wall panels; exposed aggregate concrete wall panels; T-111 composite plywood siding; plastic; and vinyl.

Residential Design Standards - Article 5.4.A.2. (new section)
All residential uses, except for single-family dwellings, have specific design standards in Article 9.3. (Principal Use Standards). Residential development in non-residential zoning districts where the Commercial Districts Design Standards in Table 5-2 apply are required to meet the design standards in the principal use standards (Article 9.3) and Table 5-2. These design standards in these two sections have conflicts and, in some instances, are not appropriate to apply to residential structures, such as single-family and two-family structures.

ANALYSIS
The C-G Zoning District's purpose and intent for the three levels of intensity are the same: to provide a heterogeneous mix of uses along Knoxville's commercial nodes and corridors, promote mixed-use development in a pedestrian-oriented environment, and offer flexibility in the creation of integrated spaces. The design standards in Article 5.4 are meant to ensure the purpose and intent of the C-G District are realized.

The staff recommendation is to use these same standards for C-G-2 and C-G-3 in all C-G Districts and reference them all together as C-G Districts in Article 5.4.

The proposed applicability section for residential design standards in Article 5.4.A.2. is to clarify which standards apply when there is a conflict between the principal use standards in Article 9.3. and Table 5-2, and to exempt single-family and two-family structures from the design standards in Table 5-2. An example of design standard conflict is the transparency standards for multi-dwelling structures, where the principal use standards (Article 9.3.I.) require 20 percent for the entire façade and Table 5-2 requires 30 percent for the ground floor and 15 percent for the upper floors.


Exhibit A: Proposed amendments to Article 5.4, adding Commercial District Design Standards in the C-G-1 (General Commercial) Zoning District and clarifying the applicable design standards for residential structures.