The City of Knoxville's recent meeting on February 16, 2025, focused on a proposal for a significant parking expansion at the Hardin Valley Station Shopping Center. The request involves adding 2,821 square feet of parking to accommodate the growing needs of the shopping center, which has shifted from primarily retail and office uses to include multiple food service establishments.

The proposed expansion aims to add 16 new parking spaces, with nine parallel spaces located behind the main tenant building and seven 90-degree stalls facing Charlevoix Road. This increase is necessary due to the higher parking demand generated by the food service tenants, which require more spaces than the original design anticipated.

Currently, the shopping center is subject to specific design guidelines that limit the impervious area ratio (IAR) and the number of parking spaces. The existing guidelines allow for a maximum IAR of 70%, but a waiver granted in 2023 increased this limit to 76%. The new proposal would further raise the IAR to 77.9%. Additionally, the center is required to have between 58 and 102 parking spaces, but the four food and drinking establishments alone necessitate a minimum of 106 spaces.

The proposal also seeks to increase the maximum allowable parking spaces from 281 to 287, which is a slight increase over what was previously approved. Furthermore, the expansion would require a reduction in the landscape buffer along Charlevoix Road from 14.75 feet to just 2 feet, although existing trees and fencing will be retained to provide screening.

City staff recommended approval of the waivers necessary for the expansion, citing the minimal increases and the need to meet parking demands. The recommendations include conditions for landscaping installation within six months and compliance with local engineering and zoning requirements.

The meeting concluded with an opportunity for questions, indicating ongoing community engagement in the planning process. This expansion reflects the evolving nature of the shopping center and the city's efforts to accommodate its changing commercial landscape.