Approve the MU-SD, MU-CC 16 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) Mixed-Used Special District because it does meet the criteria for a plan amendment.

Disposition Summary

Approve the MU-SD, MU-CC 16 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) Mixed-Used Special District because it does meet the criteria for a plan amendment.

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Details of Action

Approve the MU-SD, MU-CC 16 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) Mixed-Used Special District because it does meet the criteria for a plan amendment.

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the MU-SD, MU-CC 16 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) Mixed-Used Special District because it does not meet the criteria for a plan amendment.

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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 include any of these):

INTRODUCTION TO SIGNIFICANT NEW ROADS OR UTILITIES THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED IN THE PLAN AND MAKE DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE.
1. No new roads or utilities have been introduced that were not anticipated in the Central City Sector Plan.

AN OBVIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE PLAN.
1. The requested MU-SD, MU-CC 16 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) special district is meant to allow higher densities outside of the neighborhood's historic core. This land use classification runs along Grand Avenue from east to west until S 21st Street, where it dips down to encompass Forest Avenue as well. The MU-CC16 land use class recognizes that, along Grand Avenue, there has historically been a broad mix of uses, including office, wholesale/warehouse distribution, and retail, which is recommended to continue.
2. The subject property's MU-SD, MU-CC 17 (Fort Sanders Neighborhood) special district consists of properties on the north side of Forest Avenue between 21st Street and 18th Street. The land use classification is specifically placed and is only a half-block deep in this location. Due to the shallow depth of the land use class in this area, changing the land use class at this site would bisect the MU-SD, CC17 land use class and could permit uses that disrupt an established pattern of development and transition in land use intensity. The designation is not the result of an error or omission in the Central City Sector Plan.
3. The MU-CC 17 special district is intended to be a transitional area between the variety of uses along Grand Avenue and the Fort Sanders Hospital to the south (Exhibit C). Both the MU-CC 16 and MU-CC 17 special districts support the MDR (Medium Density Residential) and HDR (High Density Residential) land use classifications; however, the primary difference between the two special districts is that MU-CC 16 supports the BP-2 (Business Park Type 2), which allows more intensive uses including light manufacturing and warehouse/distribution centers, among others.


CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT POLICY, SUCH AS A DECISION TO CONCENTRATE DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS.
1. There are no known changes in public policy pertaining to this area that warrant an amendment to the Sector Plan.

TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION, OR TRAFFIC THAT WARRANT RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN PROPOSAL.
1. Development trends in the surrounding area have primarily been residential, with a mix of office and commercial uses interspersed throughout. Residential development has mainly consisted of multifamily and townhouse developments, and commercial development has been focused on the periphery of the Fort Sanders Neighborhood, particularly along Cumberland Avenue to the south.
2. In 2021, the Fort Sanders Hospital expansion south of the property was completed, expanding the hospital's emergency and intensive critical care capacity.
3. The subject property is within a half-mile of the University of Tennessee Campus, which experienced a significant increase in student enrollment over the past few years.
4. The hospital's expansion and increasing student population highlight the need to support residential development and community-serving amenities in this area, which can already be achieved under the current land use designation. Therefore, a plan amendment at this location is not necessary to accommodate additional dwelling units