Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends the Planning Commision deny the request to allow churches and associated community uses due to the incompatibility of such community uses with uses intended in an industrial district.

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The Knox County zoning code is written in such a way that the only those uses listed are allowed to be located within specific zones. A Similar Use Determination allows the Planning Commission to determine whether or not a proposed use is similar to, or not more detrimental than, a use that is already permitted.

Upon review of the proposed use, staff has found that churches and their associated uses are not compatible with uses allowed in the Industrial District.

The Industrial District was created to provide areas in which the principal use of land is for manufacturing, assembling, fabrication and for warehousing and other uses which have heavy impacts and adverse effects on surrounding property. These uses do not depend primarily on frequent personal visits of customers or clients, but usually require good accessibility to major rail, air, or street transportation routes. Such uses are not properly associated with, nor compatible with residential, institutional and retail commercial uses.
Introducing churches and community related services into the Industrial districts would be in conflict with many of the uses the I District was created to include. Most of these uses are not properly associated with, nor compatible with residential, institutional and retail commercial uses.

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Disposition Summary

Staff recommends the Planning Commision deny the request to allow churches and associated community uses due to the incompatibility of such community uses with uses intended in an industrial district.