To be heard May 14, 2026Agenda Item No. 43

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) and CN (Neighborhood Commercial) zones as shown on Exhibit C because they are consistent with the adopted plans and surrounding area.

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The applicant is requesting to rezone 6 contiguous parcels and a portion of parcel 056 13903 (0 Brickyard Rd) to the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) zone and a roughly 4.5-acre portion of parcel 056 13903 to the CN (Neighborhood Commercial) zone, as shown on Exhibit C: Zoning Boundary Changes.

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 ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. The largest parcel associated with this rezoning request (056 13903) has direct access to Powell Drive, a four-lane major arterial road with a center turn lane and sidewalks that was constructed in 2015, spanning from W Emory Road to the north and Clinton Highway to the south.
2. In 2024, the Brickyard Road Roundabout was installed at the intersection of W Beaver Creek Drive and Brickyard Road to improve roadway safety and provide pedestrian connections to the nearby college and community. A sidewalk was installed along Brickyard Road connecting to Powell Drive, which will connect to the planned Powell High School Greenway.
3. The Angora Frog Farm and Dog Park was opened across the street from the subject property in August 2024.
4. Since the mid-1990s, the surrounding area has experienced a gradual shift from the A (Agricultural) zone to the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services), PC (Planned Commercial), RA (Low Density Residential), and PR (Planned Residential) from up to 3.5 to up to 6 du/ac zones.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The OB (Office, Business, and Medical Services) zone is intended to provide for professional and business offices and related activities that require separate buildings and building groups surrounded by landscaped yards and open areas, and to provide centralized, compact locations for business offices, clinics, medical, and dental offices near residential neighborhoods.
2. The CN (Neighborhood Commercial) zone is intended to provide opportunities to locate limited retail and service uses in a manner convenient to and yet not disruptive to established residential neighborhoods. It is intended to provide for the recurring shopping and personal service needs for nearby residential areas and should generally be placed at street intersections that include either a collector or arterial street, as close to the edge of the neighborhood as possible. The applicant has requested to rezone a 4.5-acre portion of the parcel located at the intersection of Brickyard Road, a major collector, and Powell Drive, a major arterial, to the CN zone.
3. 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 uses allowed in the requested OB and CN zones are compatible with those of the surrounding zoning, which largely consists of properties zoned OB, RA, and PR from up to 3.5 to 6 du/ac.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AN AMENDMENT.
1. The historic Brown Cemetery is a roughly 11,500 sq ft square lot near the northwestern corner of parcel 056 13903, which has an access easement connecting to Powell Drive. Compliance with applicable state regulations regarding development permits and grading near the cemetery would be required.
2. The CN zone has development performance standards intended to maximize compatibility between commercial and adjacent residential uses, such as increased setbacks, landscaping standards, pedestrian connections, and site lighting requirements.
3. The OB and CN zones at this location are not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area, which consists of a mix of residential, non-residential, civic, and public uses.

THE 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 subject properties are designated TN (Traditional Neighborhood) on the Future Land Use Map. The TN place type is intended for areas that feature a mix of housing types with a walkable block pattern and near parks and schools. Small office, commercial, and civic uses may also exist in these areas along major thoroughfares. The requested OB and CN zoning at this location supports the intent of the TN place type, as the subject property is located near major collector and arterial streets in an area that features a mix of public parks, schools, colleges, and commercial uses.
2. The CN and OB zones are partially related to the TN place type. Partially related zones require additional review criteria, and the OB and CN zones meet the first criterion, and the allowable uses in both zones align with the recommended land use mix.
3. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policies 4: Incentivize walkable mixed-use centers, corridors, and neighborhood service nodes as the preferred form of commercial development, and 5: create neighborhoods with a variety of housing types and amenities in close proximity.
4. The subject property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which encourages a reasonably compact pattern of development, expansion of the Knox County economy, and a wide range of housing choices. The CN and OB zones support the intent of the Planned Growth Area.