The City of Knoxville is moving forward with plans to expand parking at a local shopping center, addressing the growing demand from food service establishments in the area. During a recent meeting on February 16, 2025, city officials discussed a proposal that would add 16 new parking spaces, requiring three waivers from existing design guidelines.

The proposed expansion includes nine new parallel parking spaces on the north side of the property and seven 90-degree parking stalls facing Charlevoix Road. Currently, the shopping center is allowed a maximum impervious area ratio (IAR) of 70%, which was previously increased to 76% in 2023. The new proposal would raise the IAR to 77.9%, prompting the need for a waiver.

City staff recommended approval of the waivers, citing the necessity to accommodate the parking needs of four food and drinking establishments that require a minimum of 106 spaces, while the shopping center's overall maximum is set at 102 spaces. The expansion would bring the total to 287 spaces, exceeding the previously approved limit of 281.

Concerns were raised during the meeting regarding the reduction of the landscape buffer from 20 feet to just 2 feet along Charlevoix Road. While some officials expressed support for the parking expansion, they emphasized the importance of maintaining adequate landscaping and screening to enhance the area’s aesthetics.

In response to these concerns, city staff assured that existing trees would be retained and new landscaping would be added to provide necessary screening. The proposal also includes a fire lane to improve traffic flow and prevent parking congestion near the entrance.

The city council is expected to finalize the decision on the waivers and the parking expansion in the coming weeks, with conditions that include the installation of landscaping within six months and compliance with Knox County regulations. This expansion is seen as a crucial step in meeting the parking demands of the shopping center while balancing community concerns about aesthetics and traffic flow.