Disposition Summary

Approve the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) zone because it is consistent with the proposed BP plan amendment to the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development, subject to one condition.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) zone because it is consistent with the proposed BP plan amendment to the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development, subject to one condition.

---

1. Provide a vegetated buffer consisting of a "Type B" landscape screen of 12-ft in depth adjacent to the RA zoned parcel of the property to buffer the adjacent single family home from this higher intensity development.

---

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. This property is adjacent to OB zoning on three sides. All three rezonings to OB were done consecutively in 2002, 2003, 2004.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The OB zone is intended to provide areas for professional and business offices and related activities that require separate buildings and building groups surrounded by landscaped yards and open areas. The intent herein is to provide centralized, compact locations for business offices, clinics, medical, and dental offices near residential neighborhoods. The OB zone is consistent with the existing office and commercial uses in the area.
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. To the north this property abuts a church and single family home. Planning proposes one condition to the rezoning to include a Type B landscape buffer along the portion of the property that abuts the single family residence.

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. When the proposed district is partially related to the place type, one of three conditions shall apply. One of these is that the proposed zoning district be consistent with the secondary uses of the subject site's place type. In this case, it meets two of those criteria:
A. The secondary uses of the BP place type include residential, civic, and commercial uses. Residential development is consistent with the development pattern to the north, while civic and commercial uses are consistent with the development pattern to the south, east, and west.
B. The proposed zoning district is compatible with the current zoning of adjacent sites. The OB zone is considered a transitional zone that creates a buffer between commercial and residential uses. The subject property is situated between these types of uses and meets the intent of the OB zone as a transitional area. The uses allowed in the OB zone would be compatible with the types of development that occurs on the surrounding properties.
2. The Knox County Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 9.3 focuses growth in areas already served by adequate infrastructure. This area is near I-40 interchange with Kingston Pike, which is a large employment center of commercial, office and industrial uses.