Disposition Summary

Approve amendments to the Knoxville City Code, Appendix B, Zoning Code, creating Article 4.7, Cottage Court Standards; revising Article 4.7, General Standards of Applicability to be Article 4.8; and amending Article 9.2, Use Matrix. The proposed amendments create new housing options in the City and are aligned with the intent of the zoning districts in which they are proposed.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve amendments to the Knoxville City Code, Appendix B, Zoning Code, creating Article 4.7, Cottage Court Standards; revising Article 4.7, General Standards of Applicability to be Article 4.8; and amending Article 9.2, Use Matrix. The proposed amendments create new housing options in the City and are aligned with the intent of the zoning districts in which they are proposed.

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Over the last six months, Planning and the City of Knoxville have worked with a consultant (Opticos Design, Inc.) to generate the proposed standards for cottage courts. Cottage courts are a development type that consist of a series of small (typically one- to one-and-a-half-story, small footprint) single-family detached houses arranged around a small shared court that is oriented perpendicular to the street. The rear building may be developed parallel to the street and measure up to two-stories tall, and may feature an additional unit. The shared court functions as a common open space and a community-enhancing element. Cottage courts may be built on smaller lots, typically an individual lot or the combination of two to three smaller lots, and act as a component of a larger neighborhood instead of creating a new neighborhood themselves. Cottage courts differ from pocket neighborhoods, which feature full-size houses on larger lots, typically measure two stories tall, and serve as small, separate neighborhoods.

The proposed standards are proposed for the RN-4, RN-5, and RN-6 zoning districts, as the zoning districts align with the development intensity recommendations in the City's current long-range plans and land use classifications. Cottage courts are permitted by minimum lot width and depth, with an impervious surface maximum to reflect the base zoning. The development pattern is organized by standards for building height, width and depth, and courtyard width and depth. Standards also guide the size of the shared court and the building frontage area required along the shared court. Parking standards aim to avoid the front yard and courtyard areas, placing parking towards the rear of the property and accessed from an alley if possible. The proposed cottage court standards aim to create a new housing development option for well-organized multi-unit lots which contain community-enhancing green spaces and fit within broader neighborhoods.