Alcoa

Alcoa Takes Up Car-Wash and Self-Storage Rules Tonight as Springbrook Farm Home Plan Grows to 147

Alcoa’s Board of Commissioners holds public hearings Oct. 13, 2026, on new E-1 rules for motor vehicle businesses and self-storage, plus a commercial rezoning off Old Knoxville Highway. Two days later, the planning commission reviews a Springbrook Farm plan that grows from 130 to 147 homes.

Tracy King

13 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Alcoa’s October agendas cover commercial zoning rules and a larger Springbrook Farm home plan. Illustrative photo.

Alcoa’s Board of Commissioners meets at 7:00 p.m. today, Oct. 13, 2026, in the Alcoa Municipal Building commission chambers. Two public hearings are on the agenda. The first is a rezoning off Old Knoxville Highway tied to the Clayton-Bradley campus. The second is a citywide change to the E-1 Planned Commercial Unit Development district that sets new limits on where motor vehicle businesses and self-storage facilities can go.

Two days later, on Oct. 15, the Alcoa Municipal Regional Planning Commission reviews a revised concept plan for homes on Mills Street in Springbrook Farm. The plan increases the count from 130 to 147 units.

Alcoa’s October agenda at a glance

Item	Body / date	Detail
E-1 uses on review (PC Res 2027-03)	Commissioners, Oct. 13	Motor vehicle establishments need access within 600 feet of an arterial and a 50-foot residential buffer; self-storage must be indoors with ground-floor commercial space
Tax ID 027 028.01 rezoning (PC Res 2027-01)	Commissioners, Oct. 13	“I” and “O-3” to Interstate Commercial off Old Knoxville Highway; Open Space on the Clayton-Bradley campus lot at 425 Alcoa Trail
Springbrook Farm, Mills Street (DEV-21-024)	Planning Commission, Oct. 15	147 units (90 detached, 57 attached) vs. 130 approved in 2023; 28.17 acres; 5.22 units per acre
Pellissippi Lofts revision	Planning Commission, Oct. 15	28 studio apartments become one-bedroom units
304 Levi Street annexation (PC Res 2027-05)	Planning Commission, Oct. 15	Staff recommends the parcel NOT be annexed

New rules for car washes, fuel stations and self-storage

Blount County Business News reported that the board “will hold a public hearing Oct. 13” on changes to design rules for auto-oriented businesses and self-storage facilities. The ordinance is listed for second reading at tonight’s meeting.

Under the amendment, motor vehicle establishments in E-1 would include fueling stations or electric charging stations, sales including tires and other auto parts, oil changes, and carwashes with detailing. To qualify, a business would need a primary access point within 600 feet of a major or minor arterial on the city’s thoroughfare map. It would also need a buffer strip of at least 50 feet from residential zoning.

Self-storage would face tighter design rules:

No storage building closer than 50 feet to a residential zoning district.
No loading areas facing a residential district.
No units accessible from the outside; all units must be inside a building.
Ground-floor commercial space, such as retail or restaurant storefronts, built into the building.

A 2023 proposal returns

The memo explains that planners first recommended E-1 changes through PC Resolution 2023-20 on Feb. 16, 2023. Commissioners sent it back for more study at a special called meeting on March 24, 2023, at the request of RealtyLink principal Philip Wilson. He asked the city to review limits on electric charging stations and to consider indoor vehicle sales.

The new version treats indoor and outdoor vehicle sales the same and applies the 600-foot access test to all motor vehicle establishments. It would apply citywide to every E-1 property. The memo lists Topside Square, Clark’s Grove Shopping Center, Springbrook Farm, Hunter’s Crossing, Hamilton Crossing and the Legends at Hamilton Park commercial outparcel as examples of areas developing under E-1.

Old Knoxville Highway: commercial zoning next to Clayton-Bradley

The other hearing would rezone part of Tax ID 027 028.01 from Limited Restriction “I” and Office “O-3” to Interstate Commercial “IC” off Old Knoxville Highway. The memo describes it as part of a future commercial development area. A piece that will stay with the Clayton-Bradley campus at 425 Alcoa Trail would become Open Space. The formerly closed Old Clarks Grove Road right-of-way would get IC zoning. The properties are listed as CMH Homes and Clayton Education Corp.

The change follows a replat the planning commission approved in July. It creates Lot 1R-1, the Clayton-Bradley campus, and Lot 1R-2, which consolidates vacant parcels along Old Knoxville Highway. The memo notes the Old Clarks Grove Road right-of-way was closed by ORD 16391 effective July 12, 2016. The Open Space portion lies on the south side of Pistol Creek.

Springbrook Farm: 17 more homes on Mills Street

On Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m., Judd Nash of RealtyLink Development asks the planning commission for a revised concept plan for single-family homes and townhomes on Mills Street in Springbrook Farm. Staff recommends approval. The plan increases the total from 130 to 147 units: 90 detached homes instead of 94, and 57 attached homes instead of 36.

The site covers 28.17 acres at 5.22 units per acre, which staff says fits the “Residential Medium” designation on the future land use map. For comparison, the city’s “B” zone allows 7.26 units per acre for one- and two-unit homes. Typical lots range from 20 by 85 feet to 60 by 135 feet. The revision adds a clubhouse building and pool, plus a consolidated mail center.

Springbrook Farm has been planned since the Alcoa West Plant redevelopment. The planning commission endorsed the master plan on Nov. 16, 2017, and approved the prior concept of 94 detached and 36 attached units on Jan. 19, 2023. The same Oct. 15 agenda includes a separate concept for a restaurant lot on a Franck Street extension off Tesla Boulevard. Tonight’s board agenda also includes Task Order 4 with Gresham Smith for Springbrook Farm planning work, capped at $25,000.00.

Also on the agendas

Pellissippi Lofts: C2RL asks to change 28 studio apartments to one-bedroom units, with a 10% parking reduction to 360 spaces against 396 required.
304 Levi Street: Staff recommends against annexation because fire protection is not available in the area.
Bowling alley parking: A parking-ratio change prompted by a bowling alley prospect at New Midland Plaza.
TVA data center rates: A resolution on TVA’s new rate class for data center loads above 1 MW, with a Capacity Commitment Charge for new or expanded data center loads. The city summary says there is no impact on existing Alcoa Electric customers.

Data centers are also on Smokies agendas. See Pigeon Forge Limits Data Centers to Industrial Zones on First Reading and, for Blount County’s growth debate, Blount County Weighs 12-Month Pause on 10-Lot Subdivisions and Apartments, Plus an AI Data-Center Moratorium.

What it means for Alcoa and Blount County homeowners

If you live near an E-1 shopping area, the new rules matter more than the rezoning headlines. A 50-foot buffer and indoor-only storage units make it harder to put a drive-up storage lot or a car wash right behind your fence. Before you sell, know which commercial pads near you are E-1 and whether they are still vacant.

Springbrook Farm buyers should expect more attached homes than first planned. Owners of older homes nearby will compete with new townhomes at lower price points, so pricing and condition matter. Watch the Oct. 15 vote and the final concept the board sees.

Key dates

Feb. 16, 2023 — Planning commission first recommends E-1 changes (PC Res 2023-20).
March 24, 2023 — Commissioners send the E-1 changes back for study.
Oct. 13, 2026, 7:00 p.m. — Board of Commissioners public hearings on the E-1 rules and the Old Knoxville Highway rezoning.
Oct. 15, 2026, 5:30 p.m. — Planning commission reviews the Springbrook Farm Mills Street plan, Pellissippi Lofts and the 304 Levi Street annexation.

Own a home in Alcoa, Maryville or anywhere in Blount County? Get a free home valuation, or ask for a cash offer if you want a firm number before new supply hits your area.

When does Alcoa hold the hearing on self-storage and car-wash rules?

The Alcoa Board of Commissioners holds the public hearing on October 13, 2026, at its 7:00 p.m. meeting in the Alcoa Municipal Building commission chambers.

What would the E-1 amendment require for motor vehicle businesses?

Fueling and charging stations, auto sales, oil changes and carwashes would need a primary access point within 600 feet of a major or minor arterial and a buffer of at least 50 feet from residential zoning.

What rules would apply to new self-storage in E-1 areas?

Storage buildings could not be closer than 50 feet to residential zoning, units could not be accessible from the outside, and ground-floor commercial storefronts would have to be built into the building.

How many homes are in the revised Springbrook Farm Mills Street plan?

The revised concept shows 147 units, 90 detached and 57 attached, compared with 130 in the 2023 approval, on 28.17 acres at 5.22 units per acre.

What is being rezoned off Old Knoxville Highway?

Part of Tax ID 027 028.01 would move from Limited Restriction I and Office O-3 to Interstate Commercial, with Open Space on the lot staying with the Clayton-Bradley campus at 425 Alcoa Trail.