According to a recent release from one of Loudon County’s 5th District commissioners — Van Shaver — the county wouldn’t approve it on their end due to strict regulations regarding alcohol distribution.

“Several weeks ago, I got a call from a gentleman representing Casey’s Service Stations,” Shaver said in a post on his personal website. “He was wanting information on county beer regulations pertaining to a property at Eatons Crossroads.

“I explained that that location would not be eligible for a county beer permit due to the proximity to the church and school across the street. Loudon County has the strictest beer permit regulations allowed by the state.”

According to the Loudon County Beer Permit Requirements, the manufacturing, storage or sale of beer isn’t permitted within 2,000 feet of a school, church, hospital, day care, cemetery or any other place “of public gathering.”

The Lenoir City application for a beer permit beer permit reduces that distance to just 300 feet.

ZONING AND A MORE RELAXED POLICY?

Currently, the property is zoned as a C-2 general commercial district and recognized as such by the county — seeking a rezone to C-3, which is more suited for neighborhood businesses.

The plat of land is located across the street from Eaton Elementary and Central United Methodist Church, both of which would prohibit a property intending to sell alcohol from existing within county limits on paper.

Lenoir City, on the other hand, has a more relaxed policy on alcohol distribution according to Shaver’s post. When a representative from Casey’s applied for annexation through the Lenoir City Planning Commission a few weeks prior to its first reading in City Council, it passed unanimously.

Councilwoman Robin McNabb also inquired about the nature of the annex, asking Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens as to why developers specifically needed to approve the ordinance rather than it simply going through Loudon County Planning Commission.

His answer was brief. “I guess they just want to be inside Lenoir City,” Aikens said. “All I know is that they asked [Loudon County] … I’ve not talked with them.”

TRAFFIC CONCERNS AND STATE LAW

While the main hurdle may be avoided through an annexation in the city, there were still concerns of another flavor present when the ordinance was first presented to Council on Monday, May 12.

McNabb, who said she drives the road this store is supposed to sit adjacent to every day, stated that more infrastructure of the retail variety would only pile on to an existing traffic problem.

Aside from another gas station, the area also has school and housing developments, as well as start time and dismissal traffic for Eaton and Central. … While she verbalized support for new business in the city, McNabb said she couldn’t support one that would add to an already bubbling frustration for residents.

Mayor Aikens and Councilman Todd Kennedy seemed to be in agreement that the business wouldn’t drive more traffic than is currently present. Beth Collins from the Lenoir City Planning Commission also stated after her reading that if the ordinance were to be approved, further traffic studies would be conducted and sent through the Planning Commission for an extended review.

“I don’t know of anyone that would wake up on the other side of town and say ‘Let me drive all the way to the other side of town to go to Casey’s’ when there’s [already] one downtown if they crave the delicious breakfast pizza,” Kennedy said.

The Tennessee Code Annotated’s section on alcoholic beverages, Title 8, does state that “no permit authorizing the sale of beer will be issued when such business would cause congestion of traffic or would interfere with schools, churches or other places of public gathering, or would otherwise interfere with the public health, safety and morals.”

For now, access to the new Casey’s from the street would be through the Dollar General entrance already present. Another entrance exclusive to the new store doesn’t seem to be a part of the plans at this time.

The first reading vote for the proposal was 5-1, with Councilwoman McNabb being the lone dissenting vote. A public hearing for the annexation is slated for June 23, 2025, at 5:50 p.m. at the Lenoir City Municipal Building.