KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Behind Concord Road, some neighbors said they were upset about a new development project.
The project would effectively build a new gas station in the area, with space for a "Calloway's Tennessee Kitchen" restaurant with a possible drive-thru lane. Plans for the project show space for seven pumps and parking along a convenience store building.
Charles Ellis lives in the area with his family and said they received a letter about the development, which sparked their concern.
"A large national chain is planning on opening a gas station and restaurant with a drive-thru," Ellis said. "This is wrong for the area."
The gas station, if it moves forward, will face Concord Road. The backside of the building will face the neighbors. Taylor Harris, the president of the Old Concord Residence Association in the village said many residents are concerned.
There are several concerns they said they want to address with the county.
"It's way too large for that lot and for our community, it's going to drive a lot of traffic into our neighborhood," Harris said. "We have a historic zoning overlay from Knox County, we're on the National Registry of Historic Places."
Harris said they want to preserve the historic atmosphere of the area.
Jim Snowden, the Knox County senior director of engineering and public works, said the county hears the concerns and is trying to address them. The parcel is several acres large, Snowden said, and the plan for the restaurant, gas station and convenience store would be about 7,000 square feet large.
"We just want to make sure that whatever the applicant submits is compliant with the zoning ordinance and certainly aligns with what the community character is," Snowden said. "We're still reviewing their traffic study."
Initially, the meeting where neighbors could address their concerns was planned for the week of June 10. That meeting was pushed into July, and Snowden said the delay was partially to give stakeholders time to address the concerns.
Still, some neighbors think a gas station is unnecessary.
While it's a local company buying gas from Exxon, Snowden said, some people like Ellis have a different idea of what should be developed in that spot.
"I think it should be more thoughtful, more intentional development that fits the area instead of just plopping a national chain in there," Ellis said. "I would love to see independent, locally-owned, you know, retail or coffee shops or breweries, restaurants. Anything like that would add to the experience of the neighborhood instead of something that will only detract from it."