thedailytimes.com : Your 24/7 news source

Alcoa Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan for ALDI discount food store Thursday, subject to numerous conditions.

ALDI wants to purchase 2.06 acres of land where the E-911 Center was previously located at the corner of the U.S. 129 Bypass and Louisville Road beside Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.

Alcoa planner Chris Hamby said the store must meet these conditions:

Approval of engineering, including a traffic impact study and any necessary geometric improvements. These would include a traffic signal coordination study, with ALDI being responsible for changes required by the impact of the new store.

Contribution to a sidewalk fund in lieu of building a sidewalk along the Bypass.

Approval of stormwater management, tree replacement plan, landscaping plan, utility plan and sign plan.

Underground utilities.

Revised site plan denoting centerline measurements from the most narrow point along Louisville Road and the U.S. 129 Bypass; finished floor elevation; location of bike racks; enclosed solid waste container; crosswalk/stop bars city engineer ordered; location map and site data information, such as gross floor area, height, number of parking spaces and calculations for impervious parking surface, as well as total impervious surface.

ALDI has agreed to pay the E-911 Center Board $1.5 million for the property, but the sale is contingent on the city's rezoning the property from Limited Restriction to General Business District E. The plan is to erect a 16,590-square-foot grocery store on the site.

Tom Witt, chairman of the church Finance Committee, said he met with ALDI Director of Real Estate Jesse Anesi and presented 14 requirements of the church. ALDI agreed to 11 and one has to be reviewed by ALDI management. The other two are related to a new design for the entrance to both properties.

New entrance plan

Witt is suggesting that ALDI enlarge the turn lane from the church onto Louisville Road to make for a better traffic flow and add two lanes turning to the left off Louisville Road into church and ALDI property. This would require the church to give up some parking spaces, but would provide a better entrance into the church property. Witt said this would also mean that semi trucks would have sufficient turning radius onto the frontage road to the ALDI site.

Trucks would also be limited to deliveries between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

"The church wants a written contract (with ALDI)," Witt said.

Alcoa City Commission will consider the rezoning on second and final reading on July 14. The group could defer action or refuse the request.

Witt said if the church and ALDI can get this together, they will try to reach an agreement by July 10.

"If this is accomplished, I am ready to welcome them (ALDI) as new neighbors," he said.

In other action, the commission:

Recommend the Open Space/Park ordinance to include bodies of water, open space, recreation areas, detention and retention basins and stormwater quality facilities. Approved on preliminary and final replat of three lots into one at the former Alcoa Fire Hall and public works site on Springbrook Road at East Edison Street.

Approved a site plan for an Alcoa Fire Department training tower on property at the new Alcoa Service Center.

Endorsed a Blount County plan to codify all its zoning regulations into one document. This would include amendments to the original document.