To be heard May 14, 2026Agenda Item No. 7

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Staff Recommendation

APPROVE the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district because it is consistent with the One Year Plan and the Central City Sector Plan as well as surrounding development.

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REZONING REQUIREMENTS FROM ZONING ORDINANCES (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 CITY
GENERALLY:
1. Development in the area has consisted of residential uses on local streets and commercial uses on classified roadways, mainly Middlebrook Pike. Residential development includes two duplexes approved under the middle housing standards located nearly adjacent to the subject site.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE
APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.

1. The RN-2 zoning district is intended to accommodate low density single-family residential development on relatively small lots with smaller setbacks. The RN-2 district is compatible with the surrounding area, which consists of single family and multi family residential uses and churches.
2. This site has a future land use designation of TDR (Traditional Neighborhood Residential) which is primarily residential and is characterized by neighborhoods with a mix of detached and attached houses, sidewalks, smaller lots. Areas within the TDR also allow for residential development under the Middle Housing standards. These standards are intended to promote development of neighborhood-scale housing forms similar in scale to single family homes. Middle Housing building forms permitted by the RN-2 zone are in line with existing single and multifamily structures in the area.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE City,
NOR SHALL AND DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT.
1. The RN-2 district is intended to accommodate residential development on relatively small lots with small setbacks. The surrounding area consists of residential uses comparable in scale to those permitted by the RN-2 zone and the Middle Housing standards.
2. The RN-2 district is compatible with surrounding zones, which include RN-1, RN-2, RN-5 (General Residential Neighborhood) , and O (Office).

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 TDR future land use designation allows for consideration of the RN-2 zoning district.
2. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the city's general plan policy 8.1, to develop infill housing on vacant lots which are compatible with the existing neighborhood.

WHETHER ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITES ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, ROADS, SANITARY SEWERS, STORM 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 proposed RN-2 zone allows limited residential uses and is not anticipated to have a negative impact on services in the area.
2. The subject site is less than 0.25 miles from West View Park and less than 0.5 miles from West View Elementary school.
3. The subject site is 0.25 miles from the Middlebrook Pike and Liberty Street stop of KAT route 16, the Cedar Bluff Connector. Sidewalk access to this stop extends up Liberty Street as far as the Liberty View apartment complex, approximately 475 ft from the site.