Express Oil Change, Tire Engineers looking to plant Town roots; Shipley asks for architectural ‘checklist’
A new Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers location is being proposed for 11153 and 11157 Kingston Pike.
Representatives from EOCTE presented a site plan at a Farragut Municipal Planning Commission Staff/Planner meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3, showing both an oil change and tire facilities in the development located just past West End Center, between Century 21 Legacy, Turkey Creek and Potrillo’s Taqueria & Neveria.
“They did a good job with these plans with the civil aspect of it,” Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said. However, “one of the things that is missing — and they’re probably not ready for the Planning Commission because of this — is they didn’t have any architectural.
“We need to know what the buildings are going to look like; all the architectural design standards checklist has to be completed,” he added. “But, as far as how they did the site plan, from a staff’s perspective, I was pretty pleased with it.
“I think they were pretty thorough.”
Regarding the location, “you got the flood fringe (of Turkey Creek), you’ve got the wetlands over here,” Shipley said. And, “there’s an existing billboard.
“There’re two lots here,” he added about the site. “(EOCTE) is combining the lots, which they would have to do because this building would need the setbacks from the existing lot lines.”
Shipley noted the entrance is an existing access, about which he has been in contact with the Town attorney for his feedback.
“It’s an existing access, but it’s for an old, abandoned site,” he said, noting the access “is a terrible place to access Kingston Pike, but they don’t have a lot of options … it’s pretty much where it is.
“If you try to turn eastbound, it’s almost a suicide mission,” Shipley added.
He said one of the staff’s comments was to try to work with the adjacent property owner to have a common entrance for both businesses. “They might need a variance, depending on (Town attorney) Tom (Hale’s) interpretation,” Shipley said.
Mayor Ron Williams said the location does have a better turn east than the car wash, which is located a little further past the proposed location.
