Kingsport

Kingsport Planners Hear Plainview Street Duplex Rezoning; Staff Flagged Land-Use Plan Mismatch

The Kingsport Regional Planning Commission took up REZONE26-0262, an R-1B to R-2 request for a duplex on a vacant Plainview Street lot, at its Oct. 15 meeting. Staff flagged a mismatch with the land-use plan; the Board of Mayor and Aldermen has the final say.

Tracy King

19 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Kingsport planners reviewed a request to rezone a Plainview Street lot for a duplex. Illustrative photo.

Update (Oct. 19, 2026): The Regional Planning Commission heard this request at its Oct. 15 meeting. The commission's recommendation was not yet posted in the city's agendas and minutes portal as of this update, and no local coverage of the vote had been published. The rezoning is not final until the Board of Mayor and Aldermen acts; the details below come from the Oct. 15 agenda packet.

A vacant lot on Plainview Street is the latest test of how far Kingsport will stretch its single-family zoning to make room for small-scale rental housing. The Kingsport Regional Planning Commission’s Oct. 15, 2026, agenda asked the board to send a positive recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on rezoning the property from R-1B to R-2 (REZONE26-0262).

The staff report describes the site as a vacant 0.36-acre lot at Tax Map 062I, Group H, Parcel 008.00, in the 11th Civil District, with a proposed use of a duplex. The applicant is listed as Seth Jarvis, and the stated intent is to rezone from R-1B (Residential District) to R-2 (Two-Family Residential District) to accommodate construction of a duplex.

Kingsport planning staff recommended approval. What makes the case worth watching is that the same report answers “No” when it asks whether the request conforms with the city’s land use plan.

Why staff backed the duplex anyway

The Kingsport Planning Division recommended sending a positive recommendation for two reasons, according to the report: the request is consistent with surrounding residential uses and provides an appropriate transition between zoning districts, and the proposed R-2 district provides a step between lower-density R-1B single-family zoning and the adjoining R-3, Low-Density Apartment District.

The report’s conclusion repeats the transition argument: staff recommends approval based on consistency with surrounding residential uses and the lot’s role as an appropriate transition zone.

What surrounds the lot

Direction	Zoning	Use listed in staff report
North	R-1B	Single family
East	R-1B	Single-family
South	R-3	Single-family/multi-dwelling mix
West	B-3	Commercial
Site	R-1B (requested R-2)	Vacant; proposed duplex

Source: Kingsport Regional Planning Commission rezoning report, REZONE26-0262, prepared for the Oct. 15, 2026, meeting.

The land-use plan question

Kingsport’s staff reports walk through five standards of review. On the fourth — whether the proposal conforms with the policies and intent of the land use plan — the answer is no. The report says the Future Land Use/Placetype Map designates the property as Suburban Living, which does not support duplex development. It then adds that the proposed use remains residential and represents only a modest increase in density compared with existing R-1B zoning.

The placetype page in the packet describes Suburban Living as predominately single-family housing on detached lots, generally in platted subdivisions with utilities, residential streets and sidewalks, and mostly outside the city’s historic core.

The other four standards lean toward approval in the report:

Suitability: Yes. The report says R-2 permits duplexes, which are compatible with the surrounding residential development, and the duplex represents a modest increase in density.
Effect on neighbors: No adverse effect expected. The limited increase in density is not expected to adversely affect surrounding properties.
Economic use as zoned: Yes. The property has reasonable economic use under R-1B for single-family development; R-2 would add another residential option.
Changed conditions: No significant changed conditions were identified.

The report also notes that requests to rezone to R-1A, R-1B, R-1C or R-2 do not require a Zoning Development Plan, so there is no site plan in the packet showing building placement. A neighbor who wants to see the layout will need to wait for permitting.

What happens next

A planning commission recommendation is not the final word. The rezoning request goes to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, which decides whether to change the zoning map. The city’s meeting portal lists the next BMA business meeting for Nov. 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Check that agenda, and later ones, for a Plainview Street ordinance.

Kingsport has handled several residential rezonings this fall. For a recent single-family-to-A-5 request, see Kingsport RPC Sets Sept. 17 on Valley Drive R-1 to A-5. For a larger multifamily case off I-81, see Kingsport Puts a 94-Unit Kendrick Creek Apartment Rezoning on Final Reading.

Other items on the Oct. 15 planning agenda

Plainview Street shared the agenda with two subdivision items. On consent, the commission was asked to release the current subdivision bond for The Arbor Phase 2 (PD26-0109). Under new business, it was asked to approve an amendment to the Brickyard Village Preliminary Plat (PD26-0252). Buyers looking at new construction in any subdivision phase can ask the planning department about bond status before they close.

Also this week: a Boatyard Historic District fence review

Kingsport’s Historic Zoning Commission meets Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall, 415 Broad Street, with one new item: 2016 Netherland Inn Road (HISTRC26-0270). The staff report lists the property in the Boatyard Historic District, about 0.78 acres, zoned PVD – Planned Village District, with residential use. The intent is historic approval for new fencing for the Netherland Inn Road project.

The site analysis describes a mild steel upper fence 42 inches tall with horizontal square tubing and a flat top, painted black, and a lower aluminum spear-top fence 5 feet tall, also black. Staff says the additions will complement the new residential structures on the same parcel and the recently repaired and approved retaining wall. The report’s first page recommends historic approval; its closing recommendation calls it in-house historic approval. The report’s page header reads “Kingsport Gateway Commission,” while its footer and the agenda identify the Historic Zoning Commission.

Kingsport dates to watch

Sept. 17, 2026 — Date on the Plainview Street staff report.
Oct. 15, 2026, 5:30 p.m. — Regional Planning Commission meeting, City Hall, 415 Broad Street.
Oct. 20, 2026, 1:30 p.m. — Historic Zoning Commission, 2016 Netherland Inn Road fencing.
Nov. 3, 2026, 7:00 p.m. — Next Board of Mayor and Aldermen business meeting on the city portal.

What this means for Kingsport homeowners

Transition lots are where duplexes show up first. The staff argument here rests on the lot sitting between single-family R-1B and R-3 apartment zoning. If your street backs up to a different zone, expect similar requests.
The placetype map is guidance, not a veto. Staff recommended approval even though the map designation does not support duplexes.
Selling near a rezoning? Tell buyers what is pending. A one-lot duplex is a modest change, and disclosure keeps it from becoming a surprise at the closing table.

Own a home in Kingsport or anywhere in the Tri-Cities and wondering what it would sell for today? Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a firm number on your timeline.

What is the Plainview Street rezoning in Kingsport?

REZONE26-0262 asks to rezone a vacant 0.36-acre lot on Plainview Street from R-1B to R-2 (Two-Family Residential District) to accommodate construction of a duplex.

Did Kingsport planning staff support the request?

Yes. The Kingsport Planning Division recommended sending a positive recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, citing consistency with surrounding residential uses and R-2’s role as a transition to adjoining R-3 zoning.

Does the rezoning match Kingsport’s land use plan?

The staff report says no. The Future Land Use/Placetype Map designates the property Suburban Living, which does not support duplex development, though staff called the density increase modest.

Who makes the final decision?

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The planning commission was asked to send a recommendation. The city portal lists the next BMA business meeting for Nov. 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.