Cookeville BZA To Consider Variances For Speedway On Jefferson Ave.

The process to build a Speedway convenience store on Cookeville’s Jefferson Avenue ready to resume.

Cookeville’s Board of Zoning Appeals will consider a variance request at its Thursday night meeting that will allow developers to continue work. Community Development Director Jon Ward said this is the second time they have submitted this request.

“A variance request has a 12-month period, you either have to obtain your building permit to move forward with construction or the variance is void,” Ward said. “So they have submitted a request to reapprove what they had requested.”

Ward said once the BZA approves the variances, it is up to Speedway to move forward with the project and apply for a building permit. Ward said to his understanding and from communications with Speedway has not taken any steps toward a building permit application.

The variances include the grading for parking and the widths of the driveways.

“The site has some topographic challenges, there are some pretty distinct elevation challenges north or south on that property,” Ward said. “And they had applied for a variance for the slope of some parking areas and also for a width of the access point at the traffic light there with Walmart.”