Disposition Summary

Approve the request for an outdoor storage yard as a secondary use, subject to 5 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for an outdoor storage yard as a secondary use, subject to 5 conditions.

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1. Providing a Class B Buffer Yard along the north lot line as required by the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance (Article 12.8 - Buffer Yards).
2. Meeting the requirements of Article 11 (Off-Street Parking) of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
3. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections.
4. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.
5. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.

With the conditions noted above, this request meets the requirements of the I-MU zone, the buffer yard standards, and the criteria for approval of a special use.

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The applicant is currently operating on the site and storing materials to process (recycle). The applicant has stated that once the materials have been processed, they intend to cease operations at this location and remediate the site.

The property is zoned I-MU (Industrial Mixed-Use), allowing an outdoor storage yard for secondary use with Special Use approval. Outdoor storage yards have principal use standards but they only apply if the property has commercial zoning (Article 9.3.CC).

However, the zoning ordinance also requires a Class B Buffer Yard when a nonresidential district abuts a residential district (Article 12.8). The buffer yard is 20 ft wide and requires one evergreen tree every 20 ft, one shade tree every 30 ft, and one shrub every 3 ft (50% evergreen). To the north is the Lonsdale Homes residential community.


STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2.)

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE YEAR PLAN.
A. The One Year Plan and Central City Sector Plan land use designation for this site is LI (Light Industrial).
B. The LI land use designation recommends industrial uses in the I-MU, I-RD, and I-G zone districts.
C. The land use designation emphasizes that substantial landscaped buffers are expected between uses of lesser intensity, particularly residential, office and agricultural uses. A Class B Buffer Yard is required along the north property line, which abuts a residential development.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The I-MU zoning district is intended to provide for a mix of light industrial uses and a variety of compatible commercial uses such as entertainment, amusement and retail establishments.
B. With the recommended conditions, the outdoor storage yard for secondary use meets the requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. According to aerials, the subject site has been used for industrial purposes since at least 1969, and the industrial uses to the east have been there since at least 1935.
B. With the required landscaped buffer yard, the outdoor storage yard is compatible with the neighborhood where it is proposed.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
A. The proposed use is required to comply with Article 10 of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, which regulates impacts. Section 10.2 regulates lighting, while noise, dust and pollution, odors, fire hazards, and other noxious concerns are regulated in Section 10.5.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The subject site only has access to Mynderse Ave, which only leads to Western Avenue.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
A. There are no known uses in the vicinity that could be a potential hazard or create an undesirable environment for the proposed use on this site.