To be heard July 10, 2025Agenda Item No. 45

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding area.

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PURSUANT TO THE KNOX COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, ARTICLE 16.30.01, 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 DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. There have been a couple of A to RA rezonings on small properties within 0.5 miles of this since 1980 and larger A tracts have been developed under the PR zone with densities ranging from up to 3 to up to 12 du/ac. These are single family residential and townhome developments. Townhomes are approximately 270 ft to the north to the north.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The RA zone provides for residential areas with low population densities. The RA zone allows single-family houses with sewer on 10,000 sq ft lots and duplexes on 12,000 sq ft lots with Use on Review approval by the Planning Commission.
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 PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AMENDMENT:
1. The property is accessed off a major collector street, so no traffic will be diverted through residential side streets to reach the subject property.
2. A stream runs north/south through the property, bisecting it with a 30-foot non-disturbance buffer. Any future development will need to comply with the County Stormwater Ordinance.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN OF KNOXVILLE AND KNOX COUNTY, INCLUDING ANY OF ITS ELEMENTS, MAJOR ROAD PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN, AND OTHERS:
1. The proposed RA district is directly related to the SMR (Suburban Residential) place type.
2. This request brings the zoning into compliance with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, as the current A zoning is not a zone that can be considered under the SMR place type. The SMR place type calls for primarily single family residential development and attached dwellings such as duplexes, multiplexes, and townhomes that have the scale of a single family home.
3. The proposed rezoning to RA aligns with Implementation Policy 2 of the Knox County Comprehensive Plan, to ensure that development is sensitive to existing community character. Townhomes are to the north, and small properties have been rezoned to RA in this area.
4. The rezoning is aligned with the property's location in the Urban Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan and is consistent with the policies related to the Urban Growth Area.