Disposition Summary

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone with up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding conditions, subject to 2 conditions.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the PR (Planned Residential) zone with up to 5 du/ac because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding conditions, subject to 2 conditions.

---

1) No clearing or grading of the site until a development plan is approved by the Planning Commission.
2) Land disturbance within the HP (Hillside Protection) area shall not exceed the recommended disturbance budget of the slope analysis based on the area of development identified during the development plan review, unless approved by the Planning Commission.

---

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 DISTRICTS AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY:
1. In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) widened Chapman Highway to include a middle turn lane from approximately the county line to the Highland View Drive intersection. These improvements included realigning the Simpson Road and Sevierville Pike intersections.
2. Construction has begun on the next phase of the Chapman Highway widening project from Hendron Chapel Road to Simpson Road. It is estimated to be completed in 2025.
3. Recent development plan and rezoning approvals in the area include a 117-lot townhouse development (9.46 du/ac) along Chapman Highway to the southeast (11-SD-21-C / 11-C-21-UR), rezoning 64 acres to PR up to 2.8 du/ac on the east side of Sevierville Pike (11-F-21-RZ / 11-B-21-SP), rezoning 20 acres to CA on the west side of Chapman Highway (1-M-24-RZ / 1-H-24-SP), and 8.7 acres to PR up to 5 du/ac on the north side of W. Simpson Road.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The PR (Planned Residential) zone is intended to provide optional land development methods that encourage more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems. The 23.3-acre site has approximately 13.5 acres in the HP (Hillside Protection) area, a branch of Hines Creek along the Sevierville Pike frontage, and a potential stream along approximately half of the Evans Road frontage (shown on the USGS quad map).
2. The slope analysis recommends a disturbance budget of 7.4 acres (54.6 percent) within the HP area.
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 is 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 site has frontage on Sevierville Pike, a minor collector. However, directly accessing this road will require crossing Hines Creek.
2. A portion of the subject property not part of this rezoning application has frontage on Chapman Highway. If access to Chapman Highway is improved, access could be from there.
3. Evans Road is approximately 16 feet wide for most of its length and will require widening if it is used for access. The existing culvert over Hines Creek, near the Sevierville Pike intersection, is narrow and will likely also require widening.
4. The PR (Planned Residential) zone requires development plan approval by the Planning Commission. This will allow consideration of the proposed development's impact on the steep slopes and the streams on the site. Staff is recommending conditions that restrict clearing and grading of the site until a development plan is approved and that the disturbance in the HP area not exceed the recommended disturbance budget of the slope analysis.

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 requested PR density of 5 du/ac is consistent with the subject property's location within the Planned Growth Boundary of the Growth Policy Plan.
2. The requested PR up to 5 du/ac zoning is consistent with the SR (Suburban Residential) place type, which recommends single family residential as a primary use and attached residential as a secondary use. The PR zone allows consideration of these uses with the approval of a development plan by the Planning Commission.
3. The development plan review process requires consistency with the recommendations of adopted plans, including the intent of the place type on the subject site, availability of public infrastructure, compatibility with surrounding zoning and land uses, and the requirements of the zoning code.
4. The PR zone is listed as partially related in the SR place type per Appendix H (Place Type and Zoning Correspondence Matrix) of the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. Partially related zoning districts may be appropriate but must meet one of three criteria listed in Appendix H. The proposed PR zoning with the recommended conditions and required development plan review by the Planning Commission is compatible with the current zoning of adjacent sites.
5. The requested rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's policy 7, to encourage development practices that conserve and connect natural features and habitat. The requested PR (Planned Residential) zone has flexible development standards that allow clustering development to the least constrained portions of a property, which aligns with actions 7.2 and 7.6 to encourage conservation subdivisions and considering the recommendations of the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan.