Planning Commission approves hospital addition and three site plans for downtown and industrial projects

The City of Murfreesboro Planning Commission on March 19 approved four site plans, including a 12,634-square-foot fourth-floor addition at Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital, as commissioners voted unanimously on motions to accept staff recommendations.

The additions and site plans, carried on unanimous votes, were approved “subject to all staff comments,” meaning applicants will complete outstanding staff-required items before final building permits are issued.

Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital asked for approval of a fourth-floor addition to the eastern end of its campus at 1700 Medical Center Parkway. Presenter Brandon Barbee said the addition would sit above the emergency center and ambulance drop-off and that “the design team has also provided images showing how the rooftop equipment will be screened and not visible from the public right of ways.” Commissioners agreed to consider initial and final design review at the same meeting and approved the site plan.

Also approved was a City Tile dock and parking addition: a site plan for a 14,000-square-foot office/warehouse on roughly 1.01 acres at the downtown block bounded by South Academy and E. Sevier streets. Planning staff noted the project remains consistent with the downtown streetscape plan and that the CBD zoning does not require parking; the project provides 19 immediately adjacent and on-site spaces. Commissioners discussed truck turning movements at the building’s dock and confirmed engineering had reviewed turning templates; the motion to approve was passed subject to staff comments.

Murfreesboro Housing Authority’s amended site plan for Mercury Park, Rocks 4 and 5 — 29 multifamily residential units in eight buildings on 3.12 acres off South Hancock Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — was approved after staff said the change reduced unit footprint complexity without changing unit count or parking. Executive Director Thomas Rowe and the applicant’s architect were in the audience; staff recommended approval subject to staff comments.

Volunteer Fleet Services received site-plan approval for a 6,226-square-foot motor vehicle repair facility for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles on 1.5 acres along Logistics Way. Planning staff told the commission the applicant submitted the site plan concurrently with a planned-development (PID) amendment to allow vehicle repair on that parcel; staff said the site plan otherwise met architecture, parking and height standards and recommended approval subject to staff comments. Commissioners heard that the company will move from its current, more residential-adjacent site to the proposed location to reduce neighborhood impacts.

Votes at a glance - Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital — 12,634-sf fourth-floor addition (GDO/site plan; 68.4-acre campus). Motion to approve initial and final review carried unanimously (Ayes: Ms. Sabalwater; Mr. Carroll; Vice Chair Halliburton; Mr. Harris; Mr. Prince; Mr. Wright; Chair Jones). - City Tile — 14,000-sf office/warehouse addition and dock (site plan). Motion to approve subject to staff comments carried unanimously (Ayes: Ms. Sabalwater; Mr. Carroll; Vice Chair Halliburton; Mr. Harris; Mr. Prince; Mr. Wright; Chair Jones). - Mercury Park (Rocks 4 & 5) — amended site plan: 29 units in eight buildings (PUD). Motion to approve subject to staff comments carried unanimously (Ayes: Ms. Sabalwater; Mr. Carroll; Vice Chair Halliburton; Mr. Harris; Mr. Prince; Mr. Wright; Chair Jones). - Volunteer Fleet Services — 6,226-sf motor vehicle repair facility (site plan). Motion to approve subject to staff comments carried unanimously (Ayes: Ms. Sabalwater; Mr. Carroll; Vice Chair Halliburton; Mr. Harris; Mr. Prince; Mr. Wright; Chair Jones).

Context and next steps All four approvals were unanimous and recorded as approvals “subject to all staff comments,” meaning applicants must address outstanding engineering, landscape, circulation and other staff conditions before final permits are issued. The Volunteer Fleet Services site plan was submitted alongside a PID amendment request that would permit motor-vehicle repair at that specific parcel; that PID amendment was discussed later in the meeting and was scheduled for a public hearing as a separate zoning action.

Planning staff and applicants indicated engineering review and final civil packages remain part of the next steps for the downtown and industrial projects; commissioners raised specific follow-up items such as turning-movement templates for delivery trucks at the City Tile dock and the precise extent of stacked-stone veneer on the downtown façade.

The commission moved on to new-business zoning items after these site-plan approvals.