Disposition Summary

Approve the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

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Staff Recommendation

APPROVE the RA (Low Density Residential) zone because it is consistent with the Knox County Comprehensive Plan and surrounding development.

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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 ZONES AFFECTED, OR IN THE COUNTY GENERALLY.
1. Development in recent years has been largely residential in nature; directly adjacent to the subject property lies a single family subdivision approved in 2018 and built out subsequently.
2. Since the late 1980s, there has been a series of rezoning cases from A to RA and PR with densities ranging from 3 to 5 du/ac, and these have resulted in several single-family residential subdivisions in the area.
3. The expansion of Schaad Road, a major Knox County infrastructure improvement program, is intended to provide for increased traffic capacity resultant from residential and commercial development. This property is accessed via a private right-of-way which connects directly to Schaad Road, the portion of which that is immediately relevant to the property is slated to be expanded as part of Phase IV of the project.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The RA zone provides for residential areas with low population densities. The RA zone is compatible with the surrounding residential zoning, which largely consists of properties zoned RA and PR with up to 3 and 5 du/ac.
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 RA zone allows primarily residential uses, which aligns with the character of the surrounding area.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTY NOR SHALL ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT FROM SUCH AN AMENDMENT.
1. The RA zone is a low-density residential zone. As such, it is not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area, which consists largely of single-family dwellings and a large public recreation facility.
2. A portion of the property lies within the Floodway and 100- and 500-year Floodplain designations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Any subdivision of the lot which includes this area will be subject to the applicable regulations, including the Knox County Stormwater Ordinance.

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 subject property's place type is SR (Suburban Residential) in the Knox County Comprehensive Plan. The RA zone is directly related to the SR place type. The housing mix of the SR place type calls for predominantly single-family dwellings with lots smaller than one acre and attached residential dwellings such as duplexes, both of which are permitted in the RA zone.
2. This property is within the Urban Growth Boundary of the Growth Policy Plan, the purposes of which are to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development, promote expansion of the Knoxville-Knox County economy, offer a wide range of housing choices, and coordinate the actions of the public and private sectors, particularly with regard to provision of adequate roads, utilities, schools, drainage and other public facilities and services. The RA zone supports these goals as it allows for residential development on a more compact scale than the A (Agricultural) zone.
3. This request aligns with Implementation Policy 2 of the Comprehensive Plan, "Ensure that development is sensitive to existing community character." The surrounding area is largely residential in nature, with a development pattern akin to that permitted by the RA zone.