To be heard August 14, 2025Agenda Item No. 26

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for up to two drive-through windows for retail businesses in the C-G-1 (General Commercial) zoning district, subject to 5 conditions.

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1. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance.
2. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Plans Review and Inspections
3. Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.
4. Providing privacy fencing that is a minimum of 6 feet tall along the southern boundary of the drive-through lanes (south property line of parcels 068LD013 and 068LD014). An alternative fence design, such as a slatted fence, and height may be approved by Planning staff during permitting if it is shown to block the headlights of a typical light-duty pickup truck from shining on houses along Shasta Drive.
5. The drive-through facilities can only be used for retail businesses. If another use is proposed for the drive-through facility, such as an eating and drinking establishment, a new Special Use approval is required.

With the condition noted, this plan meets the requirements for approval in the C-G-1 (General Commercial) zoning district and the criteria for approval of a special use.

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The applicant proposes two drive-through windows at a 5,734 sqft multi-tenant retail center. The drive-throughs are for retail businesses only, and are located at either end, with queuing and bailout lanes that circulate around the building.

The development consists of three lots: two that front on Cedar Lane zoned C-G-1 (General Commercial) zoning district, and one that fronts on Shasta Drive zoned O (Office) zoning district. The commercial development, including the drive-through facility, is located entirely in the C-G-1 district. The detention pond is located on the northern half of the lot zoned O. The remaining portion of the O-zoned lot could be further developed with residential or office uses along Shasta Drive.

STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2)

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The three subject lots were originally developed with houses that were demolished within the last 3-4 years. Redeveloping the lots is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 8.10, which encourages redevelopment of obsolete commercial strip space by providing incentives for "infill" rather than greenfield development.
B. Development policy 8.12 of the General Plan recommends that when commercial uses abut residential property, conditions requiring fencing, landscape screens, earth berms, height restrictions, and/or deeper than usual setbacks can improve land use transitions.
C. Development policy 11.6 of the General Plan recommends office development as a buffer between residential neighborhoods and more intense uses.
D. The two lots that are on Cedar Lane are in the GC (General Commercial) land use classification, which recommends retail and service-oriented commercial activities.
E. The lot on Shasta Drive is in the MU-SD, NC-2 (Mixed Use Special District, North City Sector Plan - North side of Shasta Drive) land use, which recommends office and neighborhood commercial uses with landscape buffers to the rear of the commercial properties and no commercial access allowed to and from Shasta Drive.
F. The Inskip Small Area Plan reiterates the recommendations of the MU-SD, NC-2 land use and provides an example landscape screening plan (see exhibit B).
G. Staff recommend a minimum 6-ft tall privacy fence be installed along the rear lot line to screen the view of the drive-through and block headlights from the residences along Shasta Drive.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The C-G-1 district is intended to provide for a heterogeneous mix of retail, personal service, office, and residential uses within and along Knoxville's commercial nodes and corridors in a pedestrian-oriented environment. The retail center providing a sidewalk connection from the public sidewalk along Cedar Lane to the building is consistent with the intent of the zoning ordinance.
B. The site and building design meet the Commercial Design Standards for the C-G-1 district.
C. The applicant received Alternative Landscape Design approval from the Administrative Review Committee, per Article 12.2.D. The approved modifications include reducing the number of shrub species from 5 to 1 and relocating the 3 trees required along the building foundation to the parking lot perimeter.

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. The proposed use would be consistent with the character of this segment of the Chapman Highway corridor, which includes several auto-oriented businesses, including a few drive-through restaurants.
B. The proposed one-story structure would be compatible in size and scale with the adjacent commercial uses.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
A. With the proposed condition of providing a 6-ft tall privacy fence along the rear lot line and by providing access to Cedar Lane only, the proposed condition will not significantly injure the value of adjacent property or detract from the immediate environment.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The development will not draw traffic through residential streets because access will be via Cedar Lane, a minor arterial street.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
A. There are no known uses immediately surrounding the subject property that would pose a potential hazard or undesirable environment for the proposed use.