The Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission voted on Jan. 9 to approve multiple rezoning and subdivision requests, including a plan for a 137-lot subdivision on Tipton Station Road and a rezoning of property on Callahan Drive to CG-1 General Commercial.

The actions came after applicants, neighbors and staff presented testimony during the commission's monthly meeting. Several items generated extended discussion about neighborhood character, access and consistency with the commission's One-Year Plan and the Knox County comprehensive plan.

Why it matters: The approvals affect land use along several corridors in Knoxville and Knox County, authorizing new housing density and commercial uses that will shape traffic, buffers and development patterns in affected neighborhoods.

What the commission decided

- Item 7 (Callahan Drive): The commission approved three related motions to amend plan designation to Callahan Drive Mixed Use Special District (MUSD NWC-1), approve the one-year plan amendment, and rezone the 21,661-square-foot tract to CG-1 General Commercial District. Vice Chair John Huber moved the motions; Commissioner Higgins seconded. The commission discussed corridor changes, access and required buffer yards; staff had recommended denial of the land-use change and rezoning.

- Item 10 (Kingston Court LLC): The commission approved rezoning a 19,120-square-foot parcel from RN-1 to RN-2 with Hillside Protection after opposition from an adjacent homeowner. Commissioner Browning moved to support the rezoning; Commissioner Barger seconded. Opponents sought formalized buffers and expressed concerns about parking and scale; the applicant said units would meet code and include on-lot parking.

- Item 12 (Pleasant Village subdivision): The commission approved the concept plan for a 41-lot single-family subdivision and the special-use approval for up to 41 houses, subject to the staff conditions read into the record. Commissioner Anderson moved approval; Vice Chair Huber seconded.

- Item 13 (2811 Mineral Springs Avenue duplex): The commission approved a request to allow a two-family dwelling in an RN-1 district despite the staff recommendation to deny based on the one-year plan criteria. Vice Chair Huber moved to approve the special-use request; Commissioner Barger seconded. Neighbor Matthew Higdon testified that a recorded 30-foot easement provides his only vehicle access and warned of conflicts from multiple households sharing the easement; staff clarified the recorded easement line is unaffected by the commission's vote and said the lot meets the minimum 15,000-square-foot requirement excluding the easement. The motion carried with one commissioner recorded as voting no.

- Item 17 (Tai Cho / Tania Lane duplex): The commission approved a two-family dwelling request in RN-1, subject to the three conditions in the staff report. Neighbor concerns about construction noise and neighborhood character were raised; applicant Tai Cho said he had met neighbors and would follow applicable construction rules.

- Item 25 (Bell Road): The commission approved rezoning roughly 2.46 acres from Agricultural to Low Density Residential, finding it consistent with the Knox County comprehensive plan.

- Item 30 (East Governor John Sevier Highway): The commission approved a rezoning to Neighborhood Commercial (CN) for a 4.39-acre tract despite a staff recommendation to deny the CN zoning because the site is not a walkable, collector-arterial location. Applicant Jimmy Webb described prior commercial uses and said the site would serve nearby subdivisions; commissioners and staff discussed CN design standards and buffering requirements.

- Item 32 (Copper Branch Place): The commission approved a variance, alternative design standards, the concept plan and the development plan for a 14-lot attached residential subdivision on roughly 4.68 acres, including approval to reduce minimum intersection spacing after Engineering/Public Works recommended approval.

- Item 33 (Tipton Station Road / Messana Investments): The commission approved a four-motion package (variance, alternative design standards, concept plan and development plan) for a 137-unit attached and detached residential subdivision on about 27.37 acres. Applicant Scott Davis told commissioners the developer agreed to a 50-foot buffer along John Sevier Highway, additional screening, sidewalks, a right-turn lane and a greenway easement; some neighbors urged a larger (100-foot) setback to preserve the scenic character near Marble Springs.

Quotes from the meeting

"I mean, it's really since the sector plan was done, it really has gone a lot more commercial so I think that has changed in that area," Vice Chair John Huber said during discussion of the Callahan Drive rezoning.

"I appreciate you guys for taking the time to listen to me," Tyler Thomas, the adjacent property owner at 319 Kingston Court, told commissioners about the RN-2 proposal, adding that the neighborhood's preference was to avoid increasing density and to secure buffers for privacy.

"We worked with the staff very well," applicant Matthew (on the Mineral Springs duplex case) said after staff and an adjacent homeowner debated easement depiction and lot size.

Public comment and staff guidance

Commissioners repeatedly reminded speakers that the commission cannot precondition rezoning approvals with private agreements between developers and neighbors; Commissioner Gill noted that while applicants may pledge design elements in conversation, the commission lacks authority to make such pledges a formal condition unless the zoning code or plan amendment process provides for it.

Several items prompted staff to point to the commission's One-Year Plan and the comprehensive plan. Staff read aloud the duplex location criteria from the One-Year Plan (including conditions such as placement on a collector street, buffering between residential and nonresidential uses, or being part of a planned residential development) when evaluating RN-1 duplex requests.

What comes next

Many approvals carry standard conditions requiring final engineering review, buffer yards and permitting. Several items—most notably the Tipton Station Road plan—will proceed to subdivision permitting and to other county or city review processes as required. For cases that required only planning commission approval, applicants were reminded to appear at subsequent city council or county commission meetings where final action is required.

Votes at a glance

- Item 7 — Callahan Drive (MUSD NWC-1 / CG-1): Approved (motions to amend plan and rezone passed). Mover: Vice Chair John Huber; seconder: Commissioner Higgins.
- Item 10 — Kingston Court LLC (RN-2 w/ Hillside Protection): Approved. Mover: Commissioner Browning; seconder: Commissioner Barger.
- Item 12 — Pleasant Village (41 lots): Approved (concept plan and special use). Mover: Commissioner Anderson; seconder: Vice Chair Huber.
- Item 13 — 2811 Mineral Springs Ave (two-family dwelling in RN-1): Approved (special use); one recorded no vote. Mover: Vice Chair Huber; seconder: Commissioner Barger.
- Item 17 — Tania Lane (two-family dwelling in RN-1): Approved (subject to staff conditions). Mover: Commissioner Overton; seconder: Commissioner Higgins.
- Item 25 — Bell Road (Low Density Residential): Approved. Mover: Commissioner Anderson; seconder: Vice Chair Huber.
- Item 30 — East Governor John Sevier Hwy (Neighborhood Commercial CN): Approved. Mover: Vice Chair Huber; seconder: Commissioner Anderson.
- Item 32 — Copper Branch Place (14 lots): Approved (variance, alternative design, concept and development plans). Mover: Commissioner Anderson; seconder: Vice Chair Huber.
- Item 33 — 1413 Tipton Station Road (137 lots): Approved (variance, alternative design, concept and development plans); developer agreed to a 50-foot buffer, Type B screening, sidewalk and greenway easement among other conditions. Mover: Vice Chair Huber; seconder: Commissioner Daley.

Ending

Commission Chair Tim Hill adjourned the meeting after the commission completed the agenda. Several commissioners and staff noted plans to revisit the One-Year Plan language and duplex location criteria in upcoming staff work programs and the annual One-Year Plan update cycle.