Knoxville City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 6

- INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS

6.1 - PURPOSE STATEMENTS

I-MU Industrial Mixed-Use Zoning District

The I-MU Industrial Mixed-Use Zoning District is intended to provide for a mix of light industrial uses and a variety of compatible commercial uses such as entertainment, amusement and retail establishments. This mix is designed to promote the reuse of older, character giving structures that may no longer be suitable for their original industrial purposes, but that can accommodate a variety of alternative types of uses. Residential uses are also permitted in the I-MU District, both above the ground floor in mixed-use development, and in multi-family dwellings.

I-RD Research and Development Zoning District

The I-RD District is intended to provide for large-scale office and research and development facilities, which may include pilot plants, prototype manufacturing or other light industrial activities conducted indoors and resulting in little or no outside impacts. The I-RD District also accommodates a variety of compatible or ancillary uses to serve employees, such as retail and personal service establishments.

I-G General Industrial Zoning District

The I-G General Industrial Zoning District provides for a range of general industrial uses that may produce limited outside impacts, rendering them incompatible with retail, service, or residential uses. Such uses include limited manufacturing, fabricating, processing, wholesale distributing, and warehousing facilities that do not require frequent visits from customers or clients.

I-H Heavy Industrial Zoning District

The I-H Heavy Industrial Zoning District is intended to provide for a wide variety of general manufacturing, fabricating, processing, distributing and warehousing uses. Industrial uses in the I-H District may result in some moderate external effects such as smoke, noise, glare or vibration, and typically include outdoor storage and related outdoor activities.

6.2 - USES

Article 9 lists permitted and special principal uses and temporary uses for the industrial districts.

6.3 - DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS

Table 6-1: Industrial Districts Dimensional Standards establishes the dimensional standards for the industrial districts. These regulations apply to all uses within each district unless a different standard is listed for a specific use.

Table 6-1: Industrial Districts Dimensional Standards
	I-MU	I-RD	I-G	I-H
Bulk
Minimum Lot Area	None	2 acres	10,000 sf	10,000 sf
Minimum Lot Width	None	200'	60'	100'
Maximum Building Height	50'	90'; however, structures must set back an additional 1' for every 2' of height over 50' from any required setback abutting a residential district lot line.
Setbacks
Minimum Front Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Interior Side Setback	None, unless abutting a residential district, then 15'	40'	10', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'
Minimum Corner Side Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Rear Setback	15'	30'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'

6.4 - DESIGN STANDARDS

The following design standards apply only to new construction in the I-MU District.

Industrial Districts Design Standards

Table 6-2: Industrial Districts Design Standards applies 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 in the I-MU District.

Table 6-2: Industrial Districts Design Standards
	I-MU
Façade Design
Building façades that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must not contain blank wall areas that exceed 30 linear feet, measured parallel to the street.	•
Building façades in excess of 100 linear feet that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must include a repeating pattern with no less than two of the following elements: texture change, material module change, or a wall articulation change of no less than 2 feet in depth or projection, such as a reveal, pilaster, or projecting rib. All elements must repeat at intervals of no more than 50 linear feet.	•
All buildings must have a public entrance from the sidewalk along the primary building frontage. Public entrances must be visually distinctive from the remaining portions of the façade along which they are located.	•
Building materials and visual elements used on the primary building frontage must continue on all building façades that are visible from a public right-of-way.	•
Fenestration Design
The ground floor of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 30%, measured between two and ten feet in height from grade.	•
Upper floors of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 15% of the wall area of the story	•
Commercial Site Design
Sites must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian access from the public right-of-way, and safe pedestrian circulation within the development.	•
Surface parking may not be located between a principal building and the front lot line. Parking must be located to the side or rear of the principal building.	•

Building Material Restrictions

In the I-MU District, the following building materials are prohibited on any façade facing a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, or any façade that abuts a residential district. Such materials may still be used as decorative or detail elements for up to 25% of the façade, or as part of the exterior construction that is not used as a surface finish material.

Plain concrete masonry units (CMU);

Aluminum, steel or other metal sidings; this restriction does not include metal architectural wall panels;

Exposed aggregate concrete wall panels;

T-111 composite plywood siding;

Plastic;

Vinyl.

6.5 - GENERAL STANDARDS OF APPLICABILITY

Site Development Standards

See Article 10 for additional on-site development standards and requirements, such as exterior lighting, accessory structures and uses, and permitted encroachments.

Off-Street Parking and Loading

See Article 11 for off-street parking and loading standards and requirements.

Landscape

See Article 12 for landscape, buffering, and screening standards and requirements.

Signs

See Article 13 for sign regulations.

Knoxville City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 6

- INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS

6.1 - PURPOSE STATEMENTS

I-MU Industrial Mixed-Use Zoning District

I-RD Research and Development Zoning District

I-G General Industrial Zoning District

I-H Heavy Industrial Zoning District

6.2 - USES

Article 9 lists permitted and special principal uses and temporary uses for the industrial districts.

6.3 - DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS

Table 6-1: Industrial Districts Dimensional Standards
	I-MU	I-RD	I-G	I-H
Bulk
Minimum Lot Area	None	2 acres	10,000 sf	10,000 sf
Minimum Lot Width	None	200'	60'	100'
Maximum Building Height	50'	90'; however, structures must set back an additional 1' for every 2' of height over 50' from any required setback abutting a residential district lot line.
Setbacks
Minimum Front Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Interior Side Setback	None, unless abutting a residential district, then 15'	40'	10', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'
Minimum Corner Side Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Rear Setback	15'	30'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'

6.4 - DESIGN STANDARDS

The following design standards apply only to new construction in the I-MU District.

Industrial Districts Design Standards

Table 6-2: Industrial Districts Design Standards
	I-MU
Façade Design
Building façades that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must not contain blank wall areas that exceed 30 linear feet, measured parallel to the street.	•
Building façades in excess of 100 linear feet that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must include a repeating pattern with no less than two of the following elements: texture change, material module change, or a wall articulation change of no less than 2 feet in depth or projection, such as a reveal, pilaster, or projecting rib. All elements must repeat at intervals of no more than 50 linear feet.	•
All buildings must have a public entrance from the sidewalk along the primary building frontage. Public entrances must be visually distinctive from the remaining portions of the façade along which they are located.	•
Building materials and visual elements used on the primary building frontage must continue on all building façades that are visible from a public right-of-way.	•
Fenestration Design
The ground floor of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 30%, measured between two and ten feet in height from grade.	•
Upper floors of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 15% of the wall area of the story	•
Commercial Site Design
Sites must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian access from the public right-of-way, and safe pedestrian circulation within the development.	•
Surface parking may not be located between a principal building and the front lot line. Parking must be located to the side or rear of the principal building.	•

Building Material Restrictions

Plain concrete masonry units (CMU);

Aluminum, steel or other metal sidings; this restriction does not include metal architectural wall panels;

Exposed aggregate concrete wall panels;

T-111 composite plywood siding;

Plastic;

Vinyl.

6.5 - GENERAL STANDARDS OF APPLICABILITY

Site Development Standards

See Article 10 for additional on-site development standards and requirements, such as exterior lighting, accessory structures and uses, and permitted encroachments.

Off-Street Parking and Loading

See Article 11 for off-street parking and loading standards and requirements.

Landscape

See Article 12 for landscape, buffering, and screening standards and requirements.

Signs

See Article 13 for sign regulations.

Knoxville City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 6

- INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS

6.1 - PURPOSE STATEMENTS

I-MU Industrial Mixed-Use Zoning District

I-RD Research and Development Zoning District

I-G General Industrial Zoning District

I-H Heavy Industrial Zoning District

6.2 - USES

Article 9 lists permitted and special principal uses and temporary uses for the industrial districts.

6.3 - DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS

Table 6-1: Industrial Districts Dimensional Standards
	I-MU	I-RD	I-G	I-H
Bulk
Minimum Lot Area	None	2 acres	10,000 sf	10,000 sf
Minimum Lot Width	None	200'	60'	100'
Maximum Building Height	50'	90'; however, structures must set back an additional 1' for every 2' of height over 50' from any required setback abutting a residential district lot line.
Setbacks
Minimum Front Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Interior Side Setback	None, unless abutting a residential district, then 15'	40'	10', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'
Minimum Corner Side Setback	Build-to Zone: 0' to 25'	50'	25'	25'
Minimum Rear Setback	15'	30'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'	15', unless abutting a residential district, then 50'

6.4 - DESIGN STANDARDS

The following design standards apply only to new construction in the I-MU District.

Industrial Districts Design Standards

Table 6-2: Industrial Districts Design Standards
	I-MU
Façade Design
Building façades that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must not contain blank wall areas that exceed 30 linear feet, measured parallel to the street.	•
Building façades in excess of 100 linear feet that abut a public right-of-way, excluding alleys, must include a repeating pattern with no less than two of the following elements: texture change, material module change, or a wall articulation change of no less than 2 feet in depth or projection, such as a reveal, pilaster, or projecting rib. All elements must repeat at intervals of no more than 50 linear feet.	•
All buildings must have a public entrance from the sidewalk along the primary building frontage. Public entrances must be visually distinctive from the remaining portions of the façade along which they are located.	•
Building materials and visual elements used on the primary building frontage must continue on all building façades that are visible from a public right-of-way.	•
Fenestration Design
The ground floor of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 30%, measured between two and ten feet in height from grade.	•
Upper floors of the front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 15% of the wall area of the story	•
Commercial Site Design
Sites must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian access from the public right-of-way, and safe pedestrian circulation within the development.	•
Surface parking may not be located between a principal building and the front lot line. Parking must be located to the side or rear of the principal building.	•

Building Material Restrictions

Plain concrete masonry units (CMU);

Aluminum, steel or other metal sidings; this restriction does not include metal architectural wall panels;

Exposed aggregate concrete wall panels;

T-111 composite plywood siding;

Plastic;

Vinyl.

6.5 - GENERAL STANDARDS OF APPLICABILITY

Site Development Standards

See Article 10 for additional on-site development standards and requirements, such as exterior lighting, accessory structures and uses, and permitted encroachments.

Off-Street Parking and Loading

See Article 11 for off-street parking and loading standards and requirements.

Landscape

See Article 12 for landscape, buffering, and screening standards and requirements.

Signs

See Article 13 for sign regulations.