The Cookeville Planning Commission approved the rezoning of 7.62 acres at the corner of Tennessee Avenue and Bob Gentry Road.
The land located near the Academy Sports distribution center will be rezoned heavy manufacturing. Cookeville owns the land and is working with a business prospect. The prospect has not been identified.
Planning Director Jon Ward said the city would deed the land to prohibit certain uses of the land allowed under the HM rezoning.
“These will include septic tank cleaning, stockyard and feed lot, truck repair service, truck stop, auto wrecker service, storage yards, foundries, quarries, salvage yards, and auto wrecker storage yards,” Ward said.
Tennessee Avenue will need road improvements to the piece of land. The creation of Tennessee Avenue stopped at the southern end of the property. City officials are currently examining those needs. The Cookeville Boat Dock Utility serves water. Sewer is not available but Ward said it will not be needed.
The land currently sits vacant and undeveloped.
The commission also approved the rezoning of 5.1 acres along Bunker Hill Road to RS-10, Single Family Residential, for the construction of a subdivision. Two other subdivisions in that area have been approved in the last four months.
Planning Commission members said there were concerns about traffic in the area. Ward said Cookeville Police reported 25 accidents in the area over the last six years. Eight of those came in 2015 before public works installed curve signs in the area.
Ward said the city would want access through an internal street and not individual homes with driveways on Bunker Hill Road. The developer agreed.