Disposition Summary

Approve the request for a small animal care facility with approximately 4,400 sqft of floor area in the DK-E zone, subject to 3 conditions.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the request for a small animal care facility with approximately 4,400 sqft of floor area in the DK-E zone, subject to 3 conditions.

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1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance, including but not limited to the principal use standards for Animal Care Facility -- Small Animal, Animal Breeder, and Kennel (Article 9.3.A1), and Signs (Article 13).
2) Obtaining administrative site plan approval from Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission staff for the building's second-story addition and exterior modifications (Article 5.5.C.3).
3) Meeting all applicable requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.

With the conditions noted, this plan meets the requirements for approval in the DK-E District and the criteria for approval of a special use.

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This proposal is for a vet clinic to be located within an existing building in Emory Place within the DK-E district. The vet clinic was previously approved in the same building in 2022 (7-C-22-SU); however, the current proposal will increase the floor area from approximately 2,800 sqft to 4,400 sqft.

The vet clinic is required to comply with Article 9.3.A.1, Primary Use Standards, pertaining to small animal clinics. Most of these standards apply to animal boarding and exercise areas. The proposal does not include an exterior exercise area for animals and would be a vet clinic only, without a kennel, though overnight boarding of animal patients is expected to occur here.

The vet clinic would use the existing parking spaces along Emory Place, a public street that functions much like a drive aisle, with 90-degree parking along both sides. The DK-E zone does not require off-street parking.

A second-story addition is currently under construction. The vet clinic would be on the ground level and requires special use approval in the DK-E district. A residence would be on the upper level, which is allowed by right.

Elevations show a new façade for the lower level, as the applicant proposes new storefront entries for the vet and a separate entry for the residence. The existing garage door will be replaced with a storefront system. Elevations and plans require administrative approval by Planning staff for compliance with the DK-E standards.


STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2.)

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The One Year Plan and Central City Sector Plan designation for this site are MU-SD, MU-CC-1 (Downtown North Mixed Use District), which recommends a variety of other land use classifications, including MU-RC (Mixed Use-Regional Commercial), MU-UC (Mixed Use, Urban Corridor), O (Office), MDR (Medium Density Residential), TDR (Traditional Neighborhood Residential), and GC (General Commercial). Together, these land use classifications allow a variety of commercial, office, and residential uses. A vet clinic is aligned with the zones allowed within this group of land use classes.
B. The stated intent of the MU-CC1 land use classification is to allow mixed-use building forms that are more urban-oriented (for example, multiple stories with small or no front yard setbacks) and designed to enhance the pedestrian experience. Along local streets, the scale of buildings and their uses should be compatible with adjacent residential uses. The proposal uses both the existing building footprint and the parking along the street in front of the building. While the second story addition is not part of the special use review, it is in keeping with the MU-SD description, as other residential units in the general area include dwellings above ground level.
C. This proposal is consistent with Development Policy 8.10 of the General Plan, which encourages redevelopment of obsolete commercial strip space by providing incentives for "infill" rather than greenfield development. This proposal utilizes an existing vacant building in a commercial strip.
D. This proposal is consistent with Development Policy 9.11 of the General Plan, which calls for locating community-serving commercial areas where they can be easily shared by several neighborhoods. This development is located on the edge of the downtown area and is surrounded by several residential neighborhoods, including Fourth and Gill, Parkridge, Old North, and Mechanicsville.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The DK-E Downtown Edge Subdistrict is intended to address areas of transition between the higher intensity environment of the Downtown and adjacent smaller-scale mixed-use areas. The DK-E Subdistrict facilitates mixed-use development with standards that focus on compatibility with adjacent development. This development proposes residential and small-scale commercial, which is aligned with the intent of the district.
B. The DK-E subdistrict has design standards (Table 5-4). These design standards apply to new construction and to any additions to a structure existing as of the effective date of this Code that exceed 30% or more of the existing structure's square footage. The DK-E Sub-District is not subject to review by the Design Review Board, but still requires site plan review by Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission staff. This proposal would be required to meet the design standards, and the separate review process for the DK-E district would ensure compliance with those standards.

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS
PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. The proposed business is similar in nature to other permitted uses in the DK-E district.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
A. All business operations are to be performed inside the structure only.
B. No adverse impacts are expected on adjacent properties resulting from this approval.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL
TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The proposed business will not generate traffic through residential streets as it is located within the downtown area.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
A. There are no known uses in the area that could be a potential hazard or create an undesirable environment for the proposed uses within the development.