Planning commission approves City Barbecue site plan with parking review required

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission on July 16 approved a site plan for City Barbecue, a proposed 2,972-square-foot restaurant on a 1.43-acre Highway Commercial parcel along North Thompson Lane. The commission approved the plan subject to staff comments, including a follow-up review of parking counts.

Staff told commissioners the restaurant would sit just south of South Sam Walton Drive and adjoin the Bubba's 33 site previously reviewed by the commission. Access will use a shared access easement to the north with Bubba's 33 and a right-in/right-out on North Townsend Lane; a connector to Bubba's 33 will also be provided. Building materials and architecture were described as largely brick with a covered patio and three branded smokers along the north side of the building; those smokers will be serviced from inside the structure and will be screened with composite fencing.

Why it matters: The project adds another highway commercial restaurant within a developing retail corridor near Sam Walton Drive. Staff flagged parking as the outstanding compliance item, saying they were working with the design team to reconcile parking spaces to the restaurant’s seating capacity before permitting.

Commissioners voted to approve the plan subject to staff comments and continued coordination with the applicant. The roll call recorded aye votes from Miss Saverwater, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Harris, Mr. Prince, Mr. Rollins, Mr. Wright and Chair Halliburton; there was an abstention recorded earlier during consent for Miss Aberwater (consent items separate from this vote). No formal amendments to the site plan were announced at the meeting.

Staff noted the approval was conditional on resolving staff comments; final site plan release will follow the department’s standard clearance process.