Disposition Summary

Approve the MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification because it is consistent with surrounding development and infrastructure investments in the area. The HP (Hillside Protection) and SP (Stream Protection) designations would be retained.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification because it is consistent with surrounding development and infrastructure investments in the area. The HP (Hillside Protection) and SP (Stream Protection) designations would be retained.

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PURSUANT TO THE GENERAL PLAN, PLANNING FRAMEWORK CHAPTER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION RESERVES THE AUTHORITY TO RECOMMEND LAND USE PLAN CHANGES BASED ON SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED CONDITIONS. SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED CONDITIONS INCLUDE (may meet any of these):

INTRODUCTION OF SIGNIFICANT NEW ROADS OR UTILITIES THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED IN THE PLAN AND MAKE DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE:
1. The approximately 4-acre subject property has had a rural residential land use since at least the 1920s when the existing primary home was built. However, major transportation changes over the years have contributed to a transformation of surrounding land uses from farmland and rural residential parcels to a diverse array of single-family and multifamily residences. In 1995, Middlebrook Pike to the north was transformed from a 25-ft country road to a 4-lane major arterial street with a tree-lined center median, turn lanes and a sidewalk. In 2003, N Gallaher View Road was created, and the subject property's access to Mars Hill Road was replaced by this new minor arterial street with 4 driving lanes, a center turn lane and a sidewalk. The subject property retained access on Mars Hill Road, a winding local street, until 2001. These road improvements have transformed the rural character of this region and made the subject property's large estate more of an outlier in an area with close proximity to two arterial streets.
2. The nearby KAT bus route will remain active after the new KAT Reimagined Network Plan is implemented later this year. Currently there are two bus stops within close walking distance of the subject property on N Gallaher View Drive. The Cavet Station Greenway Trail also crosses the entrance of this property and connects to several other greenways, parks and schools.
3. These expansions of the transportation infrastructure and the surrounding multimodal and transit amenities support a Northwest City Sector Plan amendment from the LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification MDR (Medium Density Residential). The MDR/O (Medium Density Residential/Office) land use classification was requested, but considering that there are no existing office uses in the immediate vicinity, MDR is more consistent with the character of the area.

AN OBVIOUS OR SIGNIFICANT ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE PLAN:
1. The current LDR classification is not necessarily an error, and it reflects the existing land use on the property. However, considering the parcel's location next to an arterial intersection, and its adjacency to transit, sidewalks and a greenway, more residential intensity could have been considered here.

A CHANGE IN PUBLIC POLICY, UNANTICIPATED BY THE PLAN:
1. The City's 2024 Housing Strategy Update entitled "Toward an Attainable Resilient Knoxville" makes recommendations on strategies to address unmet housing demand. One of the recommendations is to facilitate appropriate modifications to land use regulations that help meet housing needs. The recommended MDR land use amendment to the Northwest City Sector Plan would enable a wider variety of housing options on the subject property and is compatible with the City's Housing Strategy.

TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION, OR TRAFFIC THAT WARRANT RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN PROPOSAL:
1. This area has provided a diverse range of housing options for many decades, including apartments, townhouses, and single-family dwellings. The Country Club Apartments were built in the 1970s and are located directly across N Gallaher View Drive from the subject property.
2. Numerous townhouse developments, including the Deerfield and Kirkwood subdivisions, and the Adell Ree Park and Millington Park condominiums, were constructed nearby on Middlebrook Pike in the late 1990s through the 2000s.
3. These multifamily developments reflect an established and ongoing increase in residential intensity, which is consistent with the MDR land use classification.