County OKs planned-residential rezoning on Sam Lee Road with stormwater and landscaping conditions

Knox County commissioners voted to approve a planned-residential (PR) rezoning for property off Sam Lee Road, settling on 4.5 dwelling units per acre and attaching two conditions: (1) the development’s pond/retention area will be treated as bio-retention and (2) Type B landscaping will be installed around the development.

The request (originally for up to six du/ac; Planning recommended five) drew detailed questions about road width and traffic capacity. County engineering staff and the applicant’s representative said existing counts and the developer’s traffic estimates place the road under capacity for the project size, although several commissioners cautioned that nearby, partially built subdivisions will add trips and that topography limits roadway improvements.

Ben Mullin, representing the applicant, presented traffic estimates and concept plans for the development and said the detention/retention area could be designed as an amenity while addressing runoff. “With our development we’re still within the capacity of Sam Lee Road at this location,” Mullin said while noting a plan to retain the disturbed areas and to provide landscaping and buffering as part of the site plan.

Commissioner Frasier and others stressed the need to consider cumulative effects and future buildout of adjacent subdivisions. The commission added the two conditions to ensure stormwater and buffering practices are implemented; staff will verify compliance during development-plan review and require any additional roadway mitigations shown necessary by the developer-funded traffic analysis.

The motion to approve PR up to 4.5 du/ac with conditions passed on the record; commissioners said future permitting will check the promised bio-retention approach and Type B landscaping.