Major expansion at Weigel’s K Pike-Smith Road mulled
The Weigel’s convenience store on the corner of Smith Road and Kingston Pike is looking to add a small kitchen and freezer space.
“What I think they are proposing is a small addition of about 12-by-27 (feet) on the front of the building … (and) a 13-by-40 (foot addition) to make more freezer room in the back,” Farragut Community Development director Mark Shipley said during a recent Tuesday Staff/Developer meeting.
“We’re adding deli-type kitchens to all of our stores,” said Melissa Clark, Weigel’s director of real estate planning and development. “We’ve done this in similar locations.
“We add this bump out to the front (for the addition),” she added. “This bump-out will eventually hold a cash register … then we’ll add this kitchen to the store.
“Because of the new kitchen, we need the cooler space at the back (of the store). That’s why we’re constructing at the back.”
Shipley observed he is not sure they can do the front addition because of a sidewalk that goes across the front of the building.
“I’m not sure how this can be done without interfering with the sidewalk and the parking,” he said.
Clark said the company would maintain the sidewalk and walkway around the building.
“Typically, what we do is shorten some of the parking stalls, if there’s an issue there, and use those for compact cars,” she added.
However, Shipley warned, “You’ve got handicap spaces currently over here, and they have to have a clear sidewalk all the way around the front of the building to the entrance.”
Shipley did not see any issues with the addition to the back.
“In the rear, I think I would want the fire marshal to look at the room between the wall and the addition,” Mayor Ron Williams said.
“Yeah, they’ll have to get building permits for all that,” Shipley said. “They’re going to have to move the (3-foot) retaining wall a little bit.”
Ultimately, he said there needs be a lot more detail on the site plan of what it would look like.
“This is not a good enough detail for me to be able to understand how it’s going to work,” Shipley added. “You can’t do compact handicap (spaces). ...”
