To be heard June 11, 2026Agenda Item No. 19

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the PR (Planned Residential) zone with up to 4 du/ac due to environmental constraints on the site.

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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. Development trends along this section of Dutchtown Road have been primarily residential in nature, consisting of single-family and townhouse developments on small and medium lots.
2. Since the early 2000s, there has been a gradual transition from A (Agricultural) zoning to residential zoning, such as RA (Low Density Residential) and PR (Planned Residential), from up to 5 to 10 du/ac. Nonresidential rezonings to the OB (Office, Business, and Medical Related Services) and CN (Neighborhood Commercial) zones have been concentrated east of the subject property near the intersection of Dutchtown Road and N Cedar Bluff Road.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The PR zone is intended to provide optional methods of land development which encourage more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems by allowing residential development to be clustered on more optimal sections of a property.
2. There is a large sinkhole on the eastern portion of the site, and throughout the property are smaller closed contours that may be sinkholes, unless a geotechnical survey is conducted to determine otherwise (Exhibit B: Contour Map). Though the PR zone is generally intended for sites with environmental constraints, clustering development on this site could be challenging given the numerous closed contours dispersed across the property.
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 allowable uses in the PR zone with up to 4 du/ac are compatible with the surrounding residential development, which consists of single-family and townhouse dwellings with lots smaller than an acre.

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. In 1999, the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department conducted the Dutchtown Road Flood Study, which determined that the sinkhole on the eastern portion of the site drains to sinkhole DS7, a protected sinkhole roughly 900 ft south of the subject property (Exhibit C). The DS7 Sinkhole receives the majority of drainage and stormwater runoff from approximately 300 acres of development. Sediment pollution has impacted the capacity of the DS7 sinkhole, and it was deemed a 'protected' sinkhole with the adoption of the flood study. The protected sinkhole designation requires additional development criteria, including limiting fill operations and strict enforcement of erosion control measures.
2. This section of Dutchtown Road has been prone to flooding and has required multiple interventions by the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department over the last three decades to mitigate flood impacts, such as the construction of a flood wall for the Dutchtown Way subdivision to the south, and the purchase and demolition of a private property to the west due to repeated flooding. To lessen the impacts of flooding in the area, Dutchtown Road was raised to above flood levels. However, flooding continues to be a concern in this area due to the runoff and sediment pollution impacting the DS7 sinkhole to the south. Additional grading and impervious surfaces at this location could exacerbate these conditions.
3. The requested density of 4 du/ac could yield up to 12 dwelling units. As previously mentioned, there is a large sinkhole in the eastern portion of the site, and smaller closed contours appear to be distributed throughout. The significant environmental constraints on the site do not support increasing residential intensity at this location.

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 property is designated SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential) in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, which allows consideration of the requested PR zone with up to 4 du/ac. The PR zone is partially related to the SMR place type, and additional criteria must be met for partially related zones. The rezoning meets the second criterion, as the PR zone with up to 4 du/ac is compatible with the surrounding residential zoning.
2. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 5: Create neighborhoods with a variety of housing types and amenities in close proximity. The PR zone with up to 4 du/ac would permit development in scale with the surrounding area and with direct access to Dutchtown Road, a minor arterial with a center turn lane and sidewalks that extend to the commercial corridor along N Cedar Bluff Road to the east. However, adding growth in an area prone to flooding contradicts the intent of Implementation Policies 9.3, to focus growth in areas already served by adequate infrastructure, and 9.5, to avoid approving isolated developments where infrastructure is inadequate.
3. The subject property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which aims to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote expansion of the Knoxville-Knox County economy, and offer a wide range of housing choices. The proposed rezoning aligns with the intent of the Planned Growth Area.