Members of the Cookeville Planning Commission Monday approved two requests to make changes to the Food City development but denied three others after several neighbors expressed concerns about them.
The first change approved to the planned commercial development at 10th Street and Old Kentucky Road was to split one of the undeveloped lots, Lot 4, into two parcels, and the second change involves the architecture of a proposed Wendy’s restaurant on one of the lots closer to Highway 111.
“We have the generic shell that was approved,” Cookeville Community Development Director Jon Ward said. “What’s been proposed is different. It’s part of the design for their specific stores.”
Ward said that proposed change does comply with the city’s architectural standards.
But the planning department did not recommend approval of three other changes that would have more significantly altered the original Planned Commercial Development approved by the council.
One of those was a request for Wendy’s to have a freestanding sign, which would be in addition to the other signs already existing in the development. Another request denied by the planning commission would have allowed architectural changes in the lots to be approved administratively instead of having to be considered by the planning commission, and the final request would have allowed casual dining and retail businesses on the lots originally approved for office space.
Ward noted that the developer may appeal the denied changes to the city council.
Residents who live near the development expressed concern over the changes as well as what they say are problems with the current development.
“They told us the lighting would not be obstructive,” said 10th Street resident Amanda Carlen. “My house is lit up 24/7. Traffic wasn’t supposed to be crazy. Now we’ve got drag racing.”
Carlen said she didn’t want a Wendy’s in her front yard.
“We’ve already got trash coming from the grocery store,” she said. “It will be worse with Wendy’s. They’re open late.”
Ivy Lane resident Jack Gill said, “I stand with my neighbors. I’m opposed to the development of the area. I went to Food City a couple of nights ago, and on my way home, I walked by the garbage collection bin for the west end of the building. I could smell the odor coming from that just from the roadway coming through. I wouldn’t want to live close to that. It’s like living near a garbage dump or a sewer.”
Developer Wayne Cravens said, “I’m going to be the one person on the other side of this. We did everything we could to thoughtfully consider the practicalities of the development. It was our commitment to be transparent. We’ve incorporated significant adjustments to our original plan, trying to build the berm, extra screening and obviously the widening of 10th Street. I would submit that traffic on 10th is more than it was in 2019, but our population is growing. The northeast corner of our town is growing. I would also submit that our contribution has helped.”
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