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Staff Recommendation

Approve the OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) zone because it is consistent with adopted plans.

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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. Since the early 2000s, rezonings along Fox Road have largely been from the A (Agricultural) zone to OB (Office, Medical, and Related Services) and PR (Planned Residential) with a density of up to 3 to 4 du/ac. There has been one commercial rezoning that abuts the subject property on the south and west sides (2-L-26-RZ).
2. Development trends along this section of Fox Road have primarily consisted of office and residential uses, whereas commercial development has been concentrated along Kingston Pike to the north. The New Castle 35-lot subdivision and the Foxborough Hills 91-lot single-family subdivision are under construction roughly 0.25 miles southeast of the subject property.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSES OF THE APPLICABLE ZONING ORDINANCE.
1. The OB zone is intended to provide areas for professional and business offices and related activities surrounded by landscaped yards and open areas. The OB zone is also intended for centralized, compact locations for business offices, clinics, medical, and dental offices near residential neighborhoods.
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 OB zone primarily allows offices and professional services. It also allows residential uses in the same capacity as the RB (General Residential) zone.

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 OB zone is not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area, which mainly consists of office and residential uses. It is consistent with surrounding properties and would extend an existing corridor of OB zoning along Fox Road.
2. The subject property abuts Pellissippi Parkway to the west, a designated state scenic route. Structures within 1000 ft of a scenic highway are limited to building heights of 35 ft per TN Code § 54-17-115.

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. In November 2001, the Knox County Commission and Knoxville City Council amended the Southwest County Sector Plan based on the findings of the Fox Road Corridor Study. The study recommended amending the land use classification to O (Office) for properties along Fox Road, south of Capital Drive to the I-140 right-of-way, to provide a transition in land use intensity between the more intensive commercial development on Kingston Pike to the north and the low-density residential uses to the south. The OB zone is consistent with the recommendations of the Fox Road Corridor Study.
2. With the adoption of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, the land use designation for this area was changed to the BP (Business Park) place type because it was the closest equivalent to the previous O land use class. The BP place type is intended for employment-intensive uses that may include corporate, office, light industrial, advanced manufacturing, and support services.
3. The OB zone is partially related to the BP place type. Partially related zones must meet additional criteria. The proposed rezoning meets the first and second criteria, as it would be an extension of the OB zone and permits uses consistent with the secondary uses listed in the land use mix.
4. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's Implementation Policy 2: Ensure that development is sensitive to existing community character.
5. The subject property is within the Planned Growth Area of the Growth Policy Plan, which is intended to encourage a reasonably compact pattern of development and promote expansion of the Knox County economy. The rezoning aligns with the intent of the Planned Growth Area.