Disposition Summary

Approve the C-H-1 (Highway Commercial) zoning district because it is consistent with the City of Knoxville's One Year Plan and Central City Sector Plan.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the C-H-1 (Highway Commercial) zoning district because it is consistent with the City of Knoxville's One Year Plan and Central City Sector Plan.

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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 IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY GENERALLY.
1. Though the surrounding area has maintained an industrial character, development near the Cherry Street I-40 entrance/exit has historically been commercial, with uses such as gas stations, restaurants, and a hotel.
2. The City of Knoxville's Engineering Department has two Capital Improvement Projects within 500 ft of the subject property in their budget that aim to improve water quality and roadway drainage in the area. The North Cherry Street Stormwater Improvements Project will replace a large, dilapidated metal pipe system. The Cherry Street Water Quality Improvements Project will improve the drainage of a sinkhole around the I-40 area and install water quality units to treat discharged water.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THIS CODE.
1. The C-H-1 (Highway Commercial) zoning district is intended to accommodate higher-intensity commercial uses of a predominantly auto-oriented character, including retail, rental, and service establishments of a more intense commercial character. The subject property meets the description of the C-H-1 zoning district, as it is located near the I-40 entrance/exit at Cherry Street and surrounded by a mix of commercial, office, industrial, and wholesale uses.
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 C-H-1 zoning district is compatible with surrounding C-G-1 (General Commercial) zoning and is less intensive than the surrounding I-G (General Industrial) zoning.

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. The C-H-1 zoning district has regulations in place that are intended to ensure the mitigation of any potential impacts on neighboring uses. As such, the recommended rezoning is not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area.

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 subject property is designated GC (General Commercial) in the City's One Year Plan and Central City Sector Plan, which does not list I-G as one of the zones that can be considered. The GC land use class provides locations for retail and service-oriented commercial activities and is generally intended to provide a full range of goods and services at the community or regional scale. The recommended C-H-1 zoning district supports the intent of the GC land use and would align zoning with the adopted plans.
2. The rezoning supports the General Plan's Development Policy 9.3, to ensure the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities. The C-H-1 zoning district dimensional standards allow a building height between that allowed in the neighboring I-G and C-G-1 standards, which permit maximum building heights of 90 to 45 ft respectively, as the C-H-1 district has a maximum height of 60 ft.

WHETHER ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES 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. This is an urbanized area with ample utility and facility infrastructure to support the rezoning this site. As mentioned, the subject property is located near I-40 and is within an area slated for roadway and stormwater improvements.