Last undeveloped Parkside Drive parcel subject of FMPC rezoning discussion
The last undeveloped parcel along Parkside Drive has sparked commercial interest, bringing about a rezoning request. Farragut Municipal Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of that request to Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
Jim Nixon, licensed broker/representative with Turkey Creek Land Partners, LLC., asked FMPC to change the zoning of parcel 191.1, 1.57 acres south of Home Federal Bank off Parkside Drive, from Office to General Commercial (C-1) during its meeting Thursday, Aug. 15.
“Can you give us a hint what you got planned, what type of (development)?” FMPC member Noah Myers asked Nixon.
“We have some people looking at (the property),” Nixon answered. “It’s not zoned (yet) for Commercial, so we haven’t done any deals or signed up anything yet, but we have had some people looking at it who would produce sales taxes. That’s our goal.”
“When I first looked at this on the agenda tonight and started reading the packet, I really wasn’t aware that was a part of the Turkey Creek development there,” FMPC Chairman Scott Russ said.
“It’s the last piece,” Nixon said.
Bart Hose, assistant Community Development director, agreed the property is the last undeveloped tract in the Turkey Creek development along Parkside Drive.
“The tract in question is just south of the Home Federal Bank and abuts North Campbell Station Road, but is accessed internally through a joint access easement shared with Home Federal Bank and the Publix shopping center,” Hose said. “No access is permitted to North Campbell Station Road for this tract.
“Both the Home Federal tract and the tract that is the subject of this rezoning are zoned O-1-3, which permits office-type uses up to three stories,” he added. “Given the property is visible from North Campbell Station Road, the applicant has been approached with different restaurant concepts. However, under O-1-3 District, restaurants are not permitted uses.
“The proposal is to basically extend the C-1 District, which is on the Publix shopping center area, over on to this property. It’s consistent with the adjoining developments. It’s consistent with the adjoining zoning.
The change to C-1 “will provide a broader range of development options for that piece of property,” Hose said, noting the C-1 district allows for a wide range of commercial uses.
“As noted last month, the staff would view the C-1 District as a better fit for this property than the O-1-3, given the size of the tract,” he added.
“The O-1-3 has a 70-foot building setback from abutting zoning lines and is not large enough to provide for a three-story office building and associated parking should that be desired.”
The C-1 District also “would provide the applicant with more options to market the property and a restaurant use would provide good sales tax revenue for the Town,” Hose said.
Vice Mayor Louise Povlin, in her last meeting as a FMPC member, made the motion to approve the rezoning while FMPC member Ron Pinchok seconded that motion.
“It’s almost fairly straight-forward,” Povlin said. “We really didn’t have any discussion last time (the July 18 FMPC meeting).”
