To be heard July 10, 2025Agenda Item No. 21

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Staff Recommendation

Deny the RN-5 (General Residential Neighborhood) district because it is not compatible with surrounding development.

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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 SHALL BE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED OR CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AND DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE CITY/COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. In 2023, the Planning Commission approved a rezoning application for the subject parcel, changing its designation from RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) to RN-4 (General Residential Neighborhood). While the area is experiencing modest residential growth, these changes do not warrant a rezoning to the more intense RN-5 district.
2. Large residential developments in the area are occurring along the edge of the neighborhood near the I-640 interchange on properties zoned commercial (specifically, the under-construction 160-unit apartment complex on Millertown Pike and the 156-unit multifamily development on Washington Pike). The RN-4 district is more appropriate for the subject parcel with regards to its comparatively central location and the surrounding single-family development on three sides.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The existing RN-4 district is intended to accommodate mixed medium density residential development including single-family houses, duplexes, townhouses, and small-scale multi-family structures. Depending on the number of dwelling units and type of development, townhouse and multifamily developments require either Planning staff approval via administrative review or Planning Commission approval via a special use (Article 4.2.B).
2. The requested RN-5 district is intended to accommodate medium density residential neighborhoods in the City of Knoxville comprising a heterogeneous mix of single-family, two-family, townhouse, and multi-family dwellings. Since townhouses and multifamily developments are allowed by right in RN-5, it does not have the same restrictions on the number of units requiring Planning Commission approval. The RN-5 District may also serve as a functional transition between traditionally single-family and two-family residential neighborhoods within the City, and more intensely developed residential or commercial areas. The subject property does not serve as a functional transition as described in the zoning ordinance.
3. Based on minimum lot size requirements only, the 3.94-acre property could accommodate up to 85 multifamily units under the RN-4 districts and up to 114 multifamily units under the RN-5 district, subject to meeting additional dimensional standards.
4. 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 proposed rezoning will eliminate the requirement of public hearing and special use approval by the Planning Commission for almost any townhouse or multifamily development.
2. The maximum lot size for multi-family development in the RN-4 zone is 40,000 sq ft, which limits the number of dwelling units to 20 on a single lot. Under the RN-4 standards, the site must be subdivided into multiple lots to allow more than 20 dwelling units, discouraging the development of large apartment complexes that are incompatible with the surrounding houses.
3. The intersection of Washington Pike and Millertown Pike is not suitable for large developments that could be accommodated by the RN-5 district.

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 General Plan's Development Policy 9.3 encourages ensuring that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities. With the current RN-4 district, the Planning Commission has the authority to review any large developments on this site to ensure its compatibility with the existing neighborhood.
2. The proposed rezoning would be consistent with the MDR (Medium Density Residential) land use classification of the East City Sector Plan and the City's One Year plan.

ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOLS, PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION, ROADS, SANITARY 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. The property is served by transit services and is close to Spring Hill Elementary, Richard Yoakley, and Knoxville Baptist schools, the Alice Bell Park, and several community-serving commercial amenities.
2. This is an urbanized area with adequate utility infrastructure provided by KUB.