8-B-23-OA Christina (37921), August 2, 2023 at 8:15 PM
If I have a C-N lot next to RN and want to build a single family house (permissible in C-N), I’m subject to a residential abutment setback of 20’. A single family in RN only needs 5’ / 15’ combined. That is a pretty absurd discrepancy, especially problematic for an average city lot 50’ wide. This application raises an important question: what is the purpose of residential abutment setbacks? Not just for C-N but for other zones too (I-MU, C-G, etc). If the setback is intended for larger developments, why are these rules broadly applied for all uses? And for medium density developments, if you can build townhouses in RN-7 with 15’ combined setback, why 20’ residential abutment setback for townhouses in C-N, I-MU, or anywhere? Needless to say, I support this amendment and would actually support an expansion of the amendment to include consideration of other zones as well. Maybe address the use matrix while you’re at it (e.g. why is SF permissible in commercial districts?).
8-C-23-OA Christina (37921), October 4, 2023 at 11:24 AM
One reason 18’ is a prohibitive height for ADUs is that in many cases (due to average city lot sizes), the only way to meet parking requirements for the lot and build an ADU is to build a garage apartment. The standard ceiling height for garages and livable spaces is 8’. With a garage below and living above (16’), that leaves only 2’ for both floor and roof structure combined. This particular requirement renders garage apartments essentially infeasible to build, and because it’s the only option for many lots, it significantly cuts down opportunities to build ADUs in Knoxville.
