Disposition Summary

Approve the request for a preschool in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential) district, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

APPROVE the request for a preschool in the RN-1 (Single-Family Residential) district, subject to 3 conditions.

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1. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including, but not limited to, Article 11 (Parking) and Article 12 (Landscape).
2. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections.
3. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.

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Pre-School's can be permitted within the RN-1 district via a special use review, subject to the principal use standards outlined in article 9.3.W.

This request is for approval of a preschool in an established structure which was formerly used as a church. The proposal utilizes existing internal parking and drive lanes for pick-up and drop-off locations and intends to adjust the structure only to the extent necessary for adequate use as an educational facility and as required by the fire code and state law.


STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2)

THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
1. The One Year Plan and the South City Sector Plan designate this property with the CI (Civic/Institutional) future land use classification. This classification is intended to provide for areas of education and other public and quasi-public entities and explicitly lists schools as an intended landuse within its designation.
2. The General Plan has several development policies which speak to the benefits of supporting school development and the locating of schools in the communities they'll serve. Specifically, policies 5.12 and 5.13 intend for the improvement of structures to serve as schools and highlight the multi-faceted and constructive nature of schools.

THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
1. The RN-1 district is intended to accommodate traditional low density residential neighborhoods in the city with limited nonresidential uses permitted which are compatible with the character of the district.
2. The proposed pre-school is located on a lot which has long been a nonresidential use providing a community space to the neighborhood. The structure is in the center of the lot with generous setbacks from both the local street and the major collector roadway it fronts on. Forested areas on the lot are intended to be maintained for the proposed use.

THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
1. The proposed use will be located within an existing structure that has been on the lot since 2007. A church has operated on the subject site since the mid-1950s.
2. The property is in an area predominantly defined by residential uses to the north, east, and west, making it a convenient location for this much needed service.

THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
1. The proposed pre-school is considered to be a non-intensive use without anticipated injurious impacts on the surrounding area.

THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
1. The proposed use intends to utilize the existing internal parking and circulation system for drop-off and pick-up, as required by the principal use standards. These are located out of public right-of-way and are not anticipated to cause queuing issues.
2. Access to the subject site is provided via Prospect Road, a local street, however, the access point is located only 140 ft from the intersection with Sevierville Pike, a minor collector.

THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
1. The surrounding area is comprised of single-family homes, wooded areas, and the Knoxville Head Start pre-school and program building. These uses are comparable and complimentary to the proposed pre-school use.