Disposition Summary

Approve the variances and alternative design standards based on the justification provided by the applicant and recommendations of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.

Approve the Concept Plan subject to 6 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the variances and alternative design standards based on the justification provided by the applicant and recommendations of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.

Approve the Concept Plan subject to 6 conditions.

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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) Certifying the required 400 ft of sight distance can be obtained in both directions along Cunningham Road before grading permits are issued, and certification that the 400 ft of sight distance has been obtained after the required grading is complete, as indicated in Note 8 on the Concept Plan, before the final plat is certified for recording. The certification of sight distance shall be provided to Knox County Engineering and Public Works for review and approval.
4) Revising the peripheral setback to 35 ft when adjacent to the PC (Planned Commercial) zone.
5) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works.
6) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Knox County Zoning Ordinance.

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This proposal is for a residential subdivision with up to 13 detached houses on individual lots on approximately 2.5 acres (5.2 du/ac). The property was rezoned from A (Agricultural) to PR (Planned Residential) up to 8 du/ac in June 2023 (4-O-23-RZ), subject to the condition of providing a Type 'B' landscape screen along shared lot lines with properties zoned A (Agricultural) or RA (Low Density Residential).

The Concept Plan notes that a bank and vegetation must be cut back along the Cunningham Road frontage to obtain the required 400 ft of sight distance to the southwest of Road A. The applicant must certify that sight distance can be obtained before grading permits are issued and then confirm that the sight distance is obtained before the final plat is certified for the subdivision.

VARIANCES AND ALTERNATIVES DESIGN STANDARDS
Variance #1: The reduced vertical curve ("k value") is a sag curve near the Road A intersection with Cunningham Road. The reduced K value of 11.7 meets AASHTO standards for a 15 mph design speed. New residential local streets have a 25 mph design speed, however, because this sag vertical curve is near an intersection, the actual speed of vehicles will be lower, closer to 15 mph.

Variance #2: The minimum intersection spacing along a collector street is 300 ft. Road A is 94 ft from Crossroads Way to the east. Being that the two intersections are on the same side of the road and the opposite side of the street is built out with single-family houses and the construction of an opposing intersection is unlikely, the proposed intersection spacing is not a safety concern.

Variances #3, 4, & 5: The tangent variances are to reduce the length of straight road segments between horizontal curves. Because of the short road length and low travel speeds, these will not create a safety concern. The request to use a "T" turnaround that meets AASHTO design standards instead of a cul-de-sac is not a safety concern. Knox County Engineering and Public Works is supportive of this request for this specific development because of the limited number of dwelling units and it will provide the necessary turnaround for typical vehicles entering the subdivision and for a fire truck.

Alternative Design Standard #1 & 2: The reduced horizontal curves on a short road are not a safety concern and will naturally reduce vehicle speeds, which is beneficial on a residential street.