Gallatin commission defers Lowe’s request to expand outdoor sales after zoning, parking and screening concerns

The Gallatin Municipal Planning Commission heard extended testimony Oct. 27 about Lowe’s Home Improvement Center’s request to amend its master plan to add roughly 18,468 square feet of outdoor display and storage to its site at 1301 Nashville Pike.

Brad Hickman, a planning staff presenter, told the commission the planning department recommended denial, citing the zoning classification (PGC, planned general commercial) and the city zoning ordinance that requires off-street parking facilities be maintained for vehicle parking rather than merchandise storage. Hickman’s presentation included aerial photos of existing storage in the lot and a summary of relevant code language.

Todd Bartok, representing Lowe’s, said the proposed change stems from supply-chain and logistics choices that have centralized seasonal inventory at high-performing stores. He described the store’s operational need to receive large truckloads and stage product for quick-load customer pickup, and offered three screening options, including vegetative walls or fabric-screened chain-link fencing. Bartok said some proposed areas are intended to be temporary (seasonal) and that the store typically brings the full seasonal inventory in at once so customers do not encounter frequent sellouts.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on multiple issues: whether the site would still meet required parking counts after converting parts of the lot into storage (staff reported the store had substantially more spaces than the minimum required), whether the change effectively converts a retail-zoned site into a construction/warehouse-like use, sight-distance and forklift/logistics safety in active parking areas, and whether approving Lowe’s would create a precedent for other big-box retailers to convert parking to outdoor storage.

Several commissioners and planning staff proposed alternatives to outright denial: consolidating temporary storage into a single screened area, requiring more frequent replenishment rather than one large seasonal shipment, using vertical racking to reduce footprint, or adding opaque landscaping or fencing to screen views while preserving sight lines for vehicles. Planning staff noted the zoning code currently lacks a clear seasonal-storage pathway and suggested a code update may be necessary to cover recurring retail logistics questions.

Facing those unresolved issues, the Lowe’s representative asked to defer the application to continue working with staff on alternatives and possible design solutions. The commission voted to accept the applicant’s request and deferred the matter to a future meeting, giving Lowe’s the opportunity to return with refined screening, consolidation and circulation plans.

Next steps: Lowe’s will coordinate with planning staff on potential revisions (consolidation of temporary areas, improved screening or altered delivery schedules) and may return at a later date with a revised submittal.