Site requests show signs of city growth

While the economy still appears to be struggling along, both Shelbyville and Bedford County are beginning to see the start of some commercial growth.

The city's planning and codes director, Kip Green, said that recent planning commission meetings have been limited to rezoning requests and other similar items, but very few new site plans.

However, that is starting to change.

This month, three different commercial site plans are slated to be on the commission's agenda and Green says he knows of two others that could be coming up within the next few months.

"We seem to be showing signs of rebounding," Green said.

Site plans have been submitted for Cook's Pest Control and for a 6,400-square-foot spec building slated for commercial use and office space on North Main Street; and El Mexico Restaurant is presenting a revised site plan to the commission.

Also, many of the previous site plans that were approved last year by the city's planning commission are now beginning to move forward and beginning the process of getting permitted by the state, Green said.

Diagrams of these projects have already been turned in for the planning staff to review, and builders are now acquiring permits and taking other steps to move toward construction.

"Our agenda is growing," Green said. "It's not back to 15 items per meeting yet ... but we're looking better."

One large project that is moving forward is the new four-story, 60-plus room Microtel hotel.

Last October, the planning commission approved site plans for the hotel, which is to be located next to the Huddle House and the current site of Dennis Young Insurance Agency, however, the economic downturn delayed the start of work.

Also planned for the same location is Little Caesar's Pizza, a 4,921 square foot structure to be built on the outparcel of the Microtel site.

Green said it was his understanding that the builders have "worked the structure" through the state fire marshal's office and once that is completed, they should be ready for the local permitting process.

The hotel and pizza place will be graded at the same time and builders have been working on their demolition plans, Green said.

As for outside the city, the director of zoning and building inspection for the county, Kay Demonbren, says that the only new commercial business for which a site plan has been presented is a Dollar General Store to be located on U.S. 231 North.

However, Demonbren said that nothing was official yet on the project and that the site would need to be rezoned.

She also said that no new site plans for subdivisions have been submitted in the past few months.