Disposition Summary

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

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for a two-family dwelling in the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) 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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The request is to convert an existing single-family house into a two-family dwelling, via an approximately 810 sq. ft. addition to the house's rear left corner.

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 two-family dwelling is consistent with the General Plan's development policy 8.1 that encourages growth in the existing urban area through infill housing opportunities.
B. The proposed use is consistent with the MU-SD (Mixed Use-Special District), Medical Center Mixed Use District classification in the Central City Sector Plan, which notes that if the former hospital operations are scaled back, areas could convert to medium or traditional density residential land uses. A two-family dwelling is considered a low density residential use and is compatible with the area.
C. The proposed use complies with the One Year Plan's location criteria for a duplex as it would provide a desirable buffer between residential areas to the north and east and non-residential areas to the south and west. The One Year Plan also recommends duplexes in areas designated as appropriate for medium density housing, which is referenced in the Central City Sector Plan.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-2 zone is intended to accommodate traditional low density residential neighborhoods in the City of Knoxville. Two-family dwellings may also be allowed with special use approval.
B. The RN-2 zone requires a minimum lot size of 10,000 sq. ft. for two-family dwellings. The subject property is approximately 22,500 sq. ft. The site plan conforms to the dimensional standards in the RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district. The principal use standards for two-family dwellings (Article 9.3.J) only apply to new construction.

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS LOCATED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. The proposed duplex involves an approximately 810 sq. ft. addition to an existing single-family house. The addition will be recessed behind the existing house and set on a lower slope. The addition will be compatible with the neighborhood context in scale and design.
B. The proposed addition has been approved by the Design Review Board as complying with the Infill Housing Design Guidelines (6-D-24-IH).

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. The proposed two-family dwelling is considered a low-density residential use and is compatible with other residential uses in the vicinity.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. A two-family dwelling is not expected to significantly impact traffic on surrounding streets.

6) THE NATURE OF THE 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 undesirable environment for the proposed use.