Disposition Summary

Approve the O (Office) district because it would be consistent with the surrounding development and eliminate the discrepancy between the zoning and land use classification.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the O (Office) district because it would be consistent with the surrounding development and eliminate the discrepancy between the zoning and land use classification.

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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. The I-G zoning is not reflective of the subject property's current land use, which has been used as an office building for at least the last 17 years (based on the oldest available Google Streetview for this property).
2. The area has a mix of commercial, office, residential, and wholesale uses and public/quasi public land (church) and it is shifting further away from industrial uses. The most recent development in this section of Deane Hill Drive is a carwash facility approximately 1,100-ft northeast of the property, which was rezoned from I-H to a commercial district in 2021 (8-L-21-RZ). The O district would be a minor extension from across the street.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE:
1. The O district is intended to provide for an environment of low intensity office and service uses, mixed with residential uses.
2. The area, which has a mix of uses described above, meets the intent of this district. The property also meets the dimensional standards of the O district.
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 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 amendment is not expected to have any significant adverse impact on the surrounding area. It is a less intensive district than I-G, which makes it more compatible with the surrounding mix of uses.

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 property has the O (Office) land use classification as defined in the West City Sector Plan and the One Year Plan, which does not support the current I-G district. The proposed amendment would eliminate the discrepancy and align the zoning with the intended land use here.
2. The proposed down-zoning is consistent with the General Plan's Development Policy 9.3 that recommends to ensure that the context of new development, including scale and compatibility, does not impact existing neighborhoods and communities.

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. This is an urbanized area with adequate utility infrastructure and easy access to Kingston Pike, a major throughfare. Uses allowed by the O district should cause less strain on Deane Hill Drive, a major collector, than the uses allowed by the I-G district since the majority of those uses are more intensive and require truck traffic.