To be heard July 10, 2025Agenda Item No. 18

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the C-G-1 (General Commercial) district for the portion of the property north of the railroad tracks and RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) district for the portion south of the railroad tracks because they are consistent with the surrounding development. The HP (Hillside Protection) overlay on the rear would be retained.

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PURSUANT TO THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE ZONING ORDINANCE, SECTION 16.1.E, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR ALL REZONINGS:

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY GENERALLY.
1. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the surrounding area experienced a significant increase in Industrial zoning, such as I-G (General Industrial) and I-MU (Industrial Mixed-Use) in the City and I (Industrial) zoning in the County. However, development in these industrial districts consists of an array of uses, including office, commercial, wholesale, residential, and public parks.
2. The surrounding area has continued to see an increase in infill development, which has largely consisted of community-serving amenities, such as new retail storefronts, dining establishments, and the New Harvest Park, which added a dog park in May 2024.
3. In 2016, the City of Knoxville's Parks and Recreation Department published a Greenway Corridor Feasibility & Assessment Plan that identified a potential greenway (Corridor Concept M) that would connect to the existing greenway at New Harvest Park and connect to Spring Place Park. A portion of the Greenway would cross over the rear section of the subject property along the existing transmission line easement (Exhibit C).

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THIS CODE.
1. The C-G-1 (General Commercial) zoning district is intended to provide for a heterogeneous mix of retail, personal service, office, and residential uses within and along Knoxville's commercial nodes and corridors. The C-G-1 district is appropriate to consider here.
2. The RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) zoning district is intended to accommodate traditional low density residential neighborhoods in the City of Knoxville, exhibiting a predominant development pattern of single-family homes on relatively large lots with generous setbacks. Limited nonresidential uses that are compatible with the character of the district may also be permitted.
3. Rezonings should be based on the entire range of uses allowed within a zone to ensure that any development brought forth at a future time would be compatible with the surrounding land uses.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT.
1. The C-G-1 district is intended to promote mixed-use development in a pedestrian-oriented environment that recalls the City's traditional business districts and offers flexibility in creating integrated commercial, office, and residential spaces. As such, it is not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area.
2. The C-G-1 district requires similar design standards related to façade, fenestration, and commercial site design as the existing and neighboring I-MU district, allowing development that would be similar in design and scale.
3. The subject property is separated by a railroad track and is steeply sloped, making connection to the front portion of the site from the rear challenging. Additionally, a utility transmission easement cuts through the property where a greenway connector is planned.
4. A large multi-family complex adjoins the property on the south side. Due to the aforementioned environmental constraints and residential development, the RN-1 district would be more appropriate at this location than the existing I-G district, which permits intensive general and heavy industrial uses.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY GENERAL PLAN AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS, INCLUDING ADOPTED SECTOR PLANS, CORRIDOR PLANS, AND RELATED DOCUMENTS.
1. The proposed C-G-1 district will be consistent with the recommended CC (Community Commercial) land use classification in the North City Sector Plan and One Year Plan.
2. The C-G-1 district on the northern portion of the property would be consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 5.2, to encourage development in areas with excess utility capacity, or in areas where utilities may easily be extended and Development Policy 11.5, to avoid abrupt, incompatible changes in density, scale, and building appearance. As mentioned, the subject property is along the soon-to-be improved corridor of Washington Pike and requires similar design and dimensional standards as the neighboring I-MU district.
3. The rear portion of the subject property is designated MU-SD, MU-NC 10 (North side of Sharps Ridge, parcels north of the Knoxville Center Mall and south of the railroad track) in the North City Sector Plan and One Year Plan. The MU-NC 10 special district recommends less intensive uses, such as office and low density residential development. The recommended RN-1 zoning district will bring zoning into compliance with the sector plan.

WHETHER ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, ROADS, SANITARY SEWERS, STORM SEWERS, AND WATER LINES, OR ARE REASONABLY CAPABLE OF BEING PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IF THE AMENDMENT WERE ADOPTED.
1. This is an urbanized area with ample utility and facility infrastructure to support a rezoning of this site.