Murfreesboro board approves O’Reilly special-use permit for auto‑parts ‘hub’ at Mercury Plaza

The Murfreesboro Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4-0 on Jan. 22 to approve a special‑use permit allowing O’Reilly Auto Parts to operate an automobile‑parts retail/fulfillment hub at 1050 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Mercury Plaza.

The permit (Application Z25001) allows an automobile establishment with more than 10,000 square feet to operate a combined retail space and a fulfillment/parts‑storage hub in the city’s commercial‑highway zone, subject to conditions recommended by city staff and one additional safety condition added by the board.

Staff said the building proposed by O’Reilly is roughly 29,000–30,000 square feet, with about 4,000 square feet of traditional retail area and the remainder used for parts storage and fulfillment. Planning staff representative Mr. Donham told the board the site would use light‑duty delivery vehicles (vans and small pickups) for most daytime deliveries to nearby repair shops and occasionally to other O’Reilly stores; semitrailers would be restricted to off‑hours (midnight–6 a.m.) about five nights a week for restocking.

“Staff recommends approval of the special‑use permit because it meets the general standards of applicability and specific use standards for automobile retail‑hybrid hub uses,” Donham said, and outlined recommended conditions: restrict any outdoor storage to the rear and screen it, require loading and unloading at the rear of the building, provide a protected customer courtesy service area separated from drive aisles by bollards/curbing/landscaping, prohibit on‑site repairs outside that courtesy area, and require submission of a site plan for any improvements (including dumpster enclosure and the protected service area).

O’Reilly representation at the meeting included Amy Miles of PB2 Architecture and Engineering and a company staffer who identified herself as Sydney. Sydney said the store will also operate as a retail location open to consumers and added, “We will not have carts of parts. Everything will be handheld.” She said the company was willing to add bollards and extra protected parking spots at staff’s request.

One resident, W. J. Freeze of 830 Bridal Pike, spoke in favor of the application and told the board the Mercury Plaza area has suffered commercial vacancies since Kroger closed, saying, “I’d recommend that y’all vote for this.”

Board member discussion focused on pedestrian and employee safety for the customer courtesy area that staff proposed near the front of the store. Board member Tibbs moved to approve the special‑use permit with the staff conditions and to add a requirement for a speed‑control device or raised crosswalk between the building sidewalk and the courtesy area; a second was recorded and the motion passed 4-0 (Chair Young, Vice Chair Halliburton, Mr. Bachelor and Mr. Tibbs voting aye).

The board also acted earlier in the meeting to defer an administrative appeal (Application Z24024) by an AutoZone applicant to the February meeting at the applicant’s request; that appeal concerns whether a proposed use at 810 Northwest Broad Street constitutes distribution/warehousing and whether it is permitted in the commercial‑highway zone. The board deferred the appeal 4-0 after the applicant requested more time to complete a special‑use permit application.

Votes at a glance - Approval: Special‑use permit Z25001 (O’Reilly Auto Parts, 1050 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Mercury Plaza). Motion: approve with staff conditions plus requirement for a speed‑control device/raised crosswalk. Vote: 4‑0 (approved). - Deferred: Administrative appeal Z24024 (AutoZone, 810 Northwest Broad Street). Motion: defer to February meeting at applicant’s request. Vote: 4‑0 (deferred).

The board approved the minutes from its Dec. 19, 2024 meeting by unanimous voice/roll call earlier in the session, and then adjourned.