Disposition Summary

Approve the requested variance to reduce the minimum double frontage lot depth from 150 ft to 135 ft along the frontage of Sam Lee Road and the "area reserved for future road extension".
A. Knox County proposes to realign Sam Lee Road to the south side of the property, resulting in the reclassification of the existing Sam Lee Road to a local road on the north and east sides of the property.
B. The right-of-way for realigning Sam Lee Road is being dedicated from the subject lot, establishing double frontage lots along the southern boundary that would otherwise not be applicable.
C. The granting of the variation will not be detrimental to public safety, health, or welfare because the realignment of Sam Lee Road through the southern portion of the subject property will result in a safer roadway for the community.

Approve the Concept Plan subject to 10 conditions.

---

Staff Recommendation

Approve the requested variance to reduce the minimum double frontage lot depth from 150 ft to 135 ft along the frontage of Sam Lee Road and the "area reserved for future road extension".
A. Knox County proposes to realign Sam Lee Road to the south side of the property, resulting in the reclassification of the existing Sam Lee Road to a local road on the north and east sides of the property.
B. The right-of-way for realigning Sam Lee Road is being dedicated from the subject lot, establishing double frontage lots along the southern boundary that would otherwise not be applicable.
C. The granting of the variation will not be detrimental to public safety, health, or welfare because the realignment of Sam Lee Road through the southern portion of the subject property will result in a safer roadway for the community.

Approve the Concept Plan subject to 10 conditions.

---

1) Connection to sanitary sewer and meeting other relevant utility provider requirements.
2) Provision of street names consistent with the Uniform Street Naming and Addressing System within Knox County (County Ord. 91-1-102).
3) Providing a permanent or temporary sight distance easement through the horizontal curve of Sam Lee Road in the northeast corner of the site if required by Knox County Engineering and Public Works during the design plan phase.
4) Providing sight distance easements through the horizontal curve radius less than 250 ft per the requirements of Knox County Engineering and Public Works during the design plan phase. Any driveways that cannot be located outside the sight distance easement must have a 20 ft depth outside the sight distance easement.
5) Providing a sidewalk on one side of Hawk's Ridge Road and along the Sam Lee Road frontage from Hawk's Ridge Road to the future road extension per the requirements of the Knox County Sidewalk Ordinance (Chapter 54, Article IV of the Knox County Code).
6) Submitting a geotechnical report of the closed contours on the site to be reviewed and approved by Knox County Engineering and Public Works during the design plan phase. For closed contours that are not a sinkhole, the certification to be provided by Knox County Engineering and Public Works must be placed on the final plat. For those that are a sinkhole, the area shown as a closed contour must be shown on the final plat with a 50-ft buffer as required by Section 3.06.B. of the Subdivision Regulations. If any building construction is proposed within the 50-ft buffer area around the designated sinkholes/depressions (including the depressions), a geotechnical report must be prepared by a registered engineer to determine soil stability and that report must be submitted to the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works for consideration. Any construction in these areas is subject to approval by the County following a review of the report. Engineered footings must be designed for these areas. For those lots that do not have a building site outside of the 50-ft buffer, approval by Knox County will be required prior to final plat approval. The sinkholes/depressions and 50-ft buffer shall be designated on the final plat even if they are approved to be filled. Lots that do not have buildable areas outside the sinkholes/depressions shall be combined with other lots to establish a buildable area.
7) Placing a note on the final plat that all lots shall have access to the interior road system.
8) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.
9) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.
10) Before certification of the final plat for the subdivision, establish a property owners association or other legal entity responsible for maintaining common facilities, such as common areas, amenities, private roads, and/or stormwater drainage systems.

---

This proposal is for a 28-lot detached residential subdivision on 10.796 acres at a density of 2.6 du/ac. In February 2024 (12-D-23-RZ), the property was rezoned from A (Agricultural) to PR (Planned Residential) up to 4.5 du/ac. A single access is provided to Sam Lee Road. The applicant is providing a 50-ft wide area reserved for future road extension (right-of-way) along the southern boundary of the property where Knox County intends to relocate Sam Lee Road to eliminate the two existing 90-degree curves.

DOUBLE FRONTAGE LOTS
A double frontage lot is defined as a lot which has two (2) non-intersecting sides abutting on a street. This is most common when a lot fronts on an internal street of the subdivision and an existing external street along the rear property line, such as a county road. The minimum average lot depth is 135 ft when the external road is a local street, and 150 ft when it is a collector or arterial. The double front lot standard also applies to future collector and arterial streets. An alternative to creating double frontage lots is the establishment of a common area buffer strip with a minimum depth of 25 ft located between lots and the exterior street right-of-way.

Sam Lee Road is a major collector street, and the future road extension (realignment of Sam Lee Road) will also be classified as a major collector, so the 150 ft average lot depth applies to the north, east and south boundaries of the subdivision.

FUTURE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
Knox County is working with the subject property owner and the adjacent property owner to the west to allow a realignment of Sam Lee Road to pass through their properties. This will eliminate two 90-degree curves and improve safety for the community.

VARIANCE
The applicant requests to reduce the double frontage lot depth from 150 ft to 135 ft to match the lot depth when the external road is a local street. When Sam Lee Road is realigned, the existing Sam Lee Road on the north and east sides of the subject lot will become local roads.

The 150-ft double-frontage lot depth applies to the southern boundary of the subdivision because the road realignment has been identified as a future street improvement project. If this improvement project were not identified, the double frontage lot standard would not apply to the southern boundary.

ALTERNATIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
The requested alternative design standards can be approved by Knox County Engineering and Public Works and do not require approval by the Planning Commission. The applicant is requesting to increase the maximum intersection grades at both ends of Hawk's Ridge Road to 2 percent and reduce the right-of-way for the new internal roads to 40 ft. The proposed intersection grades are consistent with the maximum allowed by Knox County Engineering and Public Works when there is a crosswalk, and it does not impact the intersection's functionality or safety.