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Taco Bell plan in Bearden recommended with conditions including archaeological review of historic cemetery
Summary
Planning staff recommended approval of a Taco Bell special‑use for a drive‑through in Bearden, subject to conditions including right‑turn egress onto Kingston Pike, a concrete bus‑pad, and an archaeological investigation around an 1800s cemetery to confirm whether burials extend beyond the mapped cemetery boundary.
Planning staff recommended approval of a special‑use application for a Taco Bell with a drive‑through on Kingston Pike in the Bearden area, with conditions intended to protect pedestrian access and address a historic cemetery on the site.
Mike, planning staff, said the drive‑through triggers Planning Commission review in the CG‑1 zoning district. Staff recommended 10 conditions, notable among them: restricting the Kingstom Pike driveway exit to right turns only; providing a concrete pad and seating at the adjacent CAT bus stop so future covered shelter elements can be accommodated; and conducting an archaeological investigation to determine whether graves exist outside the currently mapped cemetery boundary.
The nut graf: staff told commissioners there was evidence that headstones had been moved historically and limited documentation about the cemetery’s original extent; an on‑site archaeological and ground‑penetrating‑radar evaluation is intended to identify subsurface burials so state law procedures protecting graves can be followed.
Staff described site design details: the property would clear existing structures, orient a new single‑story restaurant toward Kingston Pike with a wrapping drive‑through lane, and provide landscaping and a 30‑foot vegetative buffer where required by prior rezoning conditions. The applicant agreed to the bus‑pad condition; staff said the pad should be sized so the transit agency could install a future covered stop if desired.
Commissioners asked whether state law requires the archaeological work. Staff said the study itself is not a state filing requirement but that state law prohibits disturbing burial sites; the archaeological investigation is meant to verify whether burials are present beyond the shown cemetery so any necessary protections or relocations can follow the statutory process.
Ending: staff recommended approval with conditions; commissioners discussed preservation and access features for the cemetery and asked staff to ensure any state‑required actions be followed if burials are found.
