Disposition Summary

Approve the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with the adopted plans and changing conditions in the area.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the CA (General Business) zone because it is consistent with the adopted plans and changing conditions in the area.

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PURSUANT TO THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, ARTICLE 6.30.01, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR ALL REZONINGS (must meet all of these):

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. There has been a consistent trend in residential, commercial, and office development in the surrounding area since the early 2000s. Commercial and office development has been focused at the intersections of Lovell Road and Middlebrook Pike to the north, and Bob Kirby Road to the south. Approximately 400 feet to the north on Middlebrook Pike a children's day care facility is currently under construction.
2. Residential development has consisted of the Middleton Park single-family subdivision to the east, which was completed in 2016, and the Cove at Churchill Downs subdivision to the west, which was completed between 2021 and 2022.
3. The increase in residential and nonresidential uses along Middlebrook Pike supports consideration of the CA (General Business) zone at this location.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The CA zone is intended for general business and services.
2. 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 CA zone is compatible with the surrounding nonresidential zoning, which consists of properties zoned CA, OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services), and PC (Planned Commercial).

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AN AMENDMENT.
1. The majority of the subject property is within the 100-yr FEMA floodplain (Exhibit B: FEMA Flood Map). All development within floodplains must comply with the Knox County Stormwater Management Ordinance to mitigate potential impacts on flooding and drainage.
2. The subject property abuts Plumb Creek to the south, which will require a stream buffer restricting construction and substantial alterations of the land. The stream buffer would provide additional separation between any nonresidential uses on the site and the abutting residential neighborhood.
3. The Knox County Zoning Ordinance also requires a Type A landscape buffer along all adjoining residentially zoned properties or those developed for residential uses (Article 4.10.11.B).

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS.
1. The subject property is designated CMU (Corridor Mixed-Use) in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The CMU place type is appropriate for moderate-scale walkable mixed-use development occurring along major corridors. The CA zone is partially related to the CMU place type.
2. Partially related zones require additional review criteria to be met. The proposed rezoning meets the first criterion, as the allowable uses in the CA zone align with the recommended land use mix for the CMU place type.
3. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 4: Incentivize walkable, mixed-use centers, corridors, and neighborhood service nodes as the preferred form of commercial development. The subject property has direct access to Middlebrook Pike, a major arterial with sidewalks along the frontage that features a mix of residential, commercial, and office uses.
4. The rezoning is also aligned with the property's location within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which encourages a reasonable compact pattern of development and promotes the expansion of the Knoxville-Knox County economy.