Saah Salon Suites prepares for possible fall opening
Commercial architecture issues dominated the discussion at the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission meeting Thursday, June 16.
Stewart Anderson of George Armour Ewart Architect spoke about remodeling the site, as part of a site plan, for Saah Salon Suites at the former Aubrey’s location.
Anderson said he expected the business to open in late fall.
“I like what I’m seeing. The fact that this building is not going to sit for years and years and years with nobody in it thrills me,” Alderman Louise Povlin said regarding the remodeling and the new use for the building.
FMPC approved the site plan, which included minor renovations.
Brian Nicholson, project manager at Studio 4 Design, discussed another site plan for a new multi-tenant building at 1111 Kingston Pike near the intersection with Admiral Road. Nicholson said there would be three lease spaces owned by Premiere Eyecare, with Premiere Eyecare occupying another space in the building. He said one wall of the building would be windowless so the area could expand to add another space.
FMPC members had criticisms for the site’s architecture. Noah Myers, co-founder of Myers Brothers Holdings, criticized the plan’s vertical panels, which Nicholson said would resemble those at Einstein Brothers Bagels.
Rose Ann Kile said the repeated design of storefronts looked “monotonous.”
Povlin criticized what she said was the lack of a defined cap.
Myers made a motion to approve the plan subject to further architectural review. The motion passed.
“It’s a challenging process for us, because everybody can argue that design is very subjective, and our goal is really to try and make it as objective as possible,” Myers said regarding the Town’s Architectural Design Standards.
FMPC also approved resubdivision of three lots for the development. It approved a variance for the developer to omit about 80 feet of sidewalk along Admiral Road due to the Turkey Creek floodplain.
In other business, FMPC recommended approval of an ordinance that would allow businesses outside of the Mixed Use Town Center to use larger menu boards. Zaxby’s requested the change. “We are the only Zaxby’s in the United States that cannot use the standard board,” Pamela Milliken, marketing director for Zaxby’s in the Pinnacle at Turkey Creek Shopping Center, said.
It also recommended appro-val of an amendment that would allow menu boards in the MUTC to be as large as 36 square feet.
