BZA approves major home-based business at 1311 Anderton Road with limits on vehicles and parking

The Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4–3 to grant a special exception allowing a major home-based business for a mobile refreshment vendor at 1311 Anderton Road, but the approval included explicit limits on vehicle storage, screening and noise mitigation.

Planning staff presented application BZA-20252, describing the request for a major home-based business in the RL zone to allow parking and storage of refreshment vehicles on a 5.73-acre property. Staff said the operation as proposed would park up to six or more refreshment trucks (standard two-axle vans) and use two existing detached structures (30×40 and 18×40) for business operations; business activity would be off-site, with employees coming to pick up and drop off vehicles. Staff also reviewed the code-enforcement history: a complaint in 2022 documented two to three trucks on site and was closed after the trucks were removed; in October 2024 inspectors found seven trucks, which prompted the current application.

Applicant Will (William) Rodriguez told the board he and his wife own Kona Ice Middle Tennessee and Traveling Tom's Coffee and framed the request as essential to a small family business. "This business is not just what we do, it's who we are," Rodriguez said, and described community fundraising and donations his businesses have supported. He said he had pursued building a warehouse but found construction-cost estimates rose from about $1.3 million to $2.4 million, putting a commercial relocation out of reach.

Neighbors and opponents described concerns about traffic, visual impacts, septic capacity and nighttime noise. Attorney Ted Goodman, representing Darren and Janice Shreve in opposition, argued the applicants had not met their burden for a special exception, highlighted a discrepancy in reported employee counts (attorney cited prior article referencing 23 employees while the applicant said 13), and said the commercial parking and employee traffic altered the pastoral character intended by RL zoning. Goodman asked the board to deny the request, saying the use was intended to increase profit rather than serve public convenience.

Several neighbors spoke both for and against. Charlie Davidson and Ben Howard said they supported Rodriguez, citing community contributions and short on-site turnaround times for vehicles. Neighbors closer to the property — including a former owner and other residents — described audible backup beepers at night, frequent vehicle turns on a narrow shared gravel driveway, and concern over septic use by employees. Some speakers urged the board to enforce limits on employees, vehicles, screening and stormwater mitigation.

During deliberations a board member proposed approving the application with conditions: construction or placement of an enclosed structure so stored vehicles are not visible from off-site; a limit of up to eight two-axle business vehicles and up to two trailers; and disabling backup beepers while vehicles are on the property. The motion also referenced staff comments. The board adopted the motion by roll call (yes: Mike Curtis, Gary Farley, Patrick Hale, Zane Cantrell; no: Amber Brown, Jerry Sartain, Renee Curtis). The motion passed 4–3.

The BZA approval binds the applicant to the limits adopted at the hearing: vehicle-count and trailer limits, indoor storage/screening requirement and a requirement that backup beepers be disabled on-site. During the meeting staff confirmed that, if the board’s approval is based on the applicant’s submission, increases in vehicles beyond the approved number would require the applicant to return to the BZA for further approval. The board also discussed that driveway maintenance, roadway signage and pavement are handled by other county or state departments; several neighbors were advised to contact the road superintendent or highway department about signage or abandoned road status.

Because the approval modifies typical major home-based-business parameters (number of employees/vehicles and storage), the decision includes conditions meant to address neighbor complaints about visibility, traffic and noise. Any required building permits, stormwater controls or septic inspections remain subject to other county regulations and separate approvals.