Sprouts plan approved for north Murfreesboro
MURFREESBORO – Sprouts Farmers Market got one step closer to taking root in north Murfreesboro after the Planning Commission approved its plat and plan at its regular afternoon meeting Wednesday at City Hall.
"This is one of the things people have really gotten excited about in the city," City Councilman Eddie Smotherman said previously.
The Murfreesboro Planning Commission unanimously approved two separate requests Wednesday afternoon that pave the way for the Arizona-based grocery store to build a location on Memorial Boulevard.
No groundbreaking or opening dates were mentioned during the meeting.
The preliminary plat creates a three-lot subdivision as part of The Shoppes at Northgate commercial subdivision.
The second request was for a site plan review for a neighborhood shopping center consisting of two buildings. The larger building is proposed to be anchored by a 30,000-square-foot grocery store with additional, smaller retail spaces available.
Sprouts will be the anchor tenant in the development. Other occupants have not been announced.
Planning staff had issues with parking, traffic stacking and tree line buffering along adjacent single-family housing but, in the end, the Planning Commission approved both requests, subject to staff comments.
The property was recently rezoned by the Murfreesboro City Council.
The City Council limited developers to leasing to businesses that could not include adult-oriented businesses, "discount dollar stores" and car and boat dealerships and repair, officials said.
Lighting- and noise-related standards would also be implemented for the property next to the AdamsPlace retirement home and nearby single-family housing.
According to a press release from the company from January, Sprouts announced plans to open its first store in Tennessee in spring 2015, as well as eight additional locations to its growing roster of healthy grocery stores.
Each store employs about 100 people, according to the company.
Sprouts offers natural, organic and gluten-free groceries including fresh produce, bulk foods, dairy, meat and seafood, bakery, vitamins and supplements, and beer and wine, officials said. It also carries frozen foods, natural body care and household items.
The Planning Commission also:
• approved changes to a planned residential development on Saint Andrews Drive.
• approved the final plat for M-TEK's corporate headquarters with little discussion.
• gave preliminary approval to a 878-square-foot addition to the Marathon Oil convenience store on the corner of Thompson Lane and Robert Rose Drive. The plan also includes a redesign of the gas pumps and canopy at the gas station that was built before the Gateway Design Overlay was put in place.
• approved the initial design for the Medical Center Parkway retail development of two buildings with shared access drives between Medical Center Parkway and Avenue Way, next to Longhorn Steakhouse. Michael Hindman, architect, said the one building will be built at a time and are intended of something other than a drive-thru restaurant.
• approved a site plan for a commercial building, measuring nearly 8,000 square feet, at East Main Street and South Rutherford Boulevard.
• approved the site plan for a medical office building for Saint Thomas Health at New Salem Highway and Saint Andrews Drive.
• approved the site plan for a new Taco Bell and retail building at Saint Andrews Drive and Glenside Court, behind the Exxon on New Salem Highway.
Contact Michelle Willard at 615-278-5164. Follow her on Twitter @MichWillard.