To be heard July 9, 2026Agenda Item No. 15

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for a two-family dwelling in the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) zoning district, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
2) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Engineering Department.
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Plans Review and Inspections Department.

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This request is for a new two-family dwelling comprising approximately 2,630 sq ft. Access is directly off Avenue A and consists of a single driveway with three parking spaces located behind the building. The two dwellings are side-by-side with front porches facing Avenue A.

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

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The proposed use is supported by the General Plan's Development Policy 8: Encourage growth in the existing urban area. The subject property is located within 100 ft of two Knoxville Area Transit bus stops and is in close proximity to Community Unity Park.
B. The proposed two-family dwelling is consistent with the South City Sector Plan and One Year Plan's LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification, which states that low density residential development includes detached single-family dwellings and duplexes.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) zoning district is intended to accommodate low density single-family residential development on relatively small lots with smaller setbacks. Two-family dwellings may also be allowed by special use approval.
B. The lot meets the minimum 10,000 sq ft lot size requirements of the RN-2 district. The site plan and building elevations comply with all other RN-2 dimensional standards (Article 4.3) and the Principal Use Standards for two-family dwellings (Article 9.3.J).
C. The site plan proposes three parking spaces located to the rear of the building. A two-family dwelling requires a minimum of 4 off-street parking spaces. However, minimum off-street parking requirements in any district may be reduced up to 30%, provided the development is located within 0.25 miles of a transit route. There are four bus stops within 0.25 miles of the subject property.

3) 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.
A. The subject property is located on the edge of an established neighborhood that primarily consists of single-family and limited two-family dwellings on small lots. Directly to the north of the property are two churches, and to the southeast is a large multifamily development. The proposed use is compatible with the character of the area and would provide a transition in land use intensity.

4) 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.
A. Two-family dwellings are considered low-density residential uses and are compatible with other residential uses in the neighborhood.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The proposed use is not anticipated to draw substantial additional traffic through residential streets. The subject property is situated at the edge of the neighborhood, adjacent to a minor collector street and a Knoxville Area Transit route.

6) 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.
A. There are no known uses immediately surrounding the subject property that would pose a potential hazard or create an undesirable environment for the proposed use. The subject property is in a primarily residential area within the Vestal community and in close proximity to Community Unity Park.