Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 12 du/ac for the lot area within the SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential) place type only, because it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and changing conditions along the corridor.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone up to 12 du/ac for the lot area within the SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential) place type only, because it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and changing conditions along the corridor.

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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 DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. The subject property is located along a section of Ball Camp Pike that is currently undergoing construction as part of Phase 2 of the Schaad Road capital improvement project. Once construction is complete, the new Schaad Road corridor will serve as an east-west connector from Kingston Pike at Lovell Road to I-75 at Callahan Drive. The roadway will include four 12-ft travel lanes separated by a 30-ft raised median, 4-ft bike lanes on the outside shoulders and 5-ft sidewalks on both sides of the roadway.
2. The upcoming Schaad Road corridor will provide walkable and bikeable access to the Ball Camp Pike Elementary School located 600 ft southwest of the subject property.
3. These conditions support consideration of the requested PR (Planned Residential) density of 12 du/ac.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The subject property is already zoned PR, which is intended to provide optional methods of land development that encourage more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems. Although most of the property is not within the HP (Hillside Protection) area, there are significant slopes that would benefit from the flexibility permitted by the PR zone to cluster development in the less sloped areas of the lot.
2. The requested increase in density is appropriate at this location not only because of the Schaad Road expansion that is underway, but also due to its close proximity to community facilities like Ball Camp Elementary, Nicholas Ball Park, and Ball Camp Park, as well as the commercial corridor potential along Middlebrook Pike to the southwest.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT.
1. There are no significant adverse impacts anticipated to occur with a partial increase in density at this location along an arterial street with upcoming multimodal accessibility.

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 Knox County Comprehensive Plan place type for most of this property is SMR (Suburban Mixed Residential), which is intended to provide a mix of housing types including townhomes or house-scale multifamily developments. The SMR place type permits consideration of a PR density up to 12 du/ac. Approximately .65-acres of the lot at the northwest corner has the RC (Rural Conservation) place type. This place type is intended to conserve forested areas, ridges, and other significant natural areas by clustering development and minimizing land disturbance. This designation corresponds with the steeper, undisturbed forested slopes on the property. The RC place type only permits a PR density of up to 5 du/ac, which is consistent with how the property is currently zoned. The 12 du/ac density should not extend to the RC area on the subject property. This partial rezoning would yield a maximum unit count of 43 units for the entire lot.
2. Increasing density for much of the parcel is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's implementation policy 9.3 to focus growth in areas already served by adequate infrastructure. The Schaad Road construction project is greatly increasing this corridor's capacity for more intensive residential development.
3. The subject property is located in the Planned Growth area of the Growth Policy Plan, which is intended to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote expansion of the Knox County economy, and offer a wide range of housing alongside the provision of adequate transportation infrastructure, utilities and public facilities.