Alcoa could soon be home to the first In-N-Out location in East Tennessee.
On Thursday, Alcoa planning commissioners unanimously approved a concept plan and replat request to prepare Lot 4R3 of Springbrook Farm for development.
In-N-Out is interested in a 2.6-acre subdivision of the roughly 8-acre lot where, according to site plans, developers would build a small restaurant with indoor and patio seating. The California-based burger chain’s signature drive-thru lanes and several rows of parking north of the site would occupy most of the lot.
Lot 4R3 is located along Franck Street and borders Tesla Boulevard to the north and North Hall Road to the south. It sits at the southwestern edge of Springbrook Farm in what the master vision plan identifies as the Tesla Boulevard Commercial District.
Jeremy Pearson explained to planning commissioners during a Wednesday briefing that the lot must be subdivided and a Franck Street extension studied for traffic impacts before In-N-Out or any other commercial entity can move in.
“This splits one lot into four lots: three that are developable and a fourth lot for the extension of Franck Street,” Pearson said. “This was part of that Marconi corner that has been incrementally developing as prospects have come online.”
The Franck Street extension would be constructed by the developer, creating a private road running perpendicular to Tesla Boulevard and North Hall Road. A connection to Tesla Boulevard is expected, and a joint private easement has been proposed for the segment between the new private road and North Hall Road. The shared internal driveway would help In-N-Out manage traffic circulation around the building and limit traffic exiting onto the major arterial to the south.
Commissioners did not vote on the site plan Thursday after action was deferred at the developer’s request. Approvals specific to In-N-Out remain subject to city staff approval of a traffic impact analysis for Franck Street and the new private roadway.
If all goes according to plan, the Alcoa In-N-Out would be the first in East Tennessee and the fifth in the state. In December, the first three Tennessee locations opened in Lebanon, Antioch and Murfreesboro. A fourth location opened in Franklin in February.
After an unsuccessful appearance before the Board of Zoning Appeals, GCC Development returned to the city Thursday with a hotel site plan that meets most of Alcoa’s development guidelines.
LivSmart Studios by Hilton is a new brand that debuted in Tullahoma last July. The concept is similar to a long-term rental, such as an Airbnb. Developers plan to purchase the remainder of the Burkharts’ property on Payne Avenue to construct the 119-key hotel. Total square footage is estimated at just under 60,000, and plans include 121 parking spaces.
The submitted plans fall short of the city’s glass material requirements, meaning developers must amend that portion before construction. Otherwise, the project received planning commission approval.
Commissioners also unanimously approved the following business items:
A request to create Lot 4 of CMH Properties Inc. at Clayton Headquarters, 5000 Clayton Road, which was previously approved by the planning commission in 2021 but never finalized;
A request to replat an interior property line between lots 1650 and 1658 Aberdeen Drive;
A request to replat three lots into one on Johnathan Court;
A request to annex four lots located at 134 Sam Houston School Road and 117 and 121 Liscom Drive into the city, with a second reading and public hearing to be held after necessary infrastructure upgrades are completed at the petitioners’ expense; and
A request to zone the four above plats as Limited District “I” if annexed into the city.