A parking area spilling into an intersection could be fixed thanks to a Cookeville Planning Commission decision.
Community Development Director Jon Ward said the rezoning can improve a four way intersection around East Stevens Street. Ward said rezoning the site will allow the office to redevelop the parking lot.
“(That) parking that backs out onto East Stevens is very dangerous,” Ward said. “We don’t allow businesses to have parking that backs out into the public street, so it’s an improvement on the track. And our future land use plan designated that land could potentially be commercial, so it is compliant with our current future land usage designations.”
The Commission rezoned the land from Single Family and Duplex Residential to Local Commercial.
Ward said single family and duplex zones provide a modern density area for families to live with access to public waste water services, while commercial lots are for small or moderate sized offices, and retail businesses serving the city. Ward said the lots bordering the property are commercial lots.
Ward said approving the proposal allows the removal of the parking lot, additions on a office building and the installation of a new parking lot.
“In my opinion it would be an improvement to the existing conditions, right,” Ward said. “It would just expand parking into that adjacent parcel.”
Ward said the next steps for the business owners involves combining this area with the Eastern commercial lot.
“They’re looking to move forward with design and present those to the city for review,” Ward said.
