City Approves Revised Site Plan for Weigel’s Store

In a significant step forward for local commerce, the Elizabethton Regional Planning Commission last night gave the green light to a revised site plan for the establishment of a Weigel’s convenience store and gas station. Finalizing a proposal that has been nearly three years in the making, the approved location for the much-anticipated store and fuel station is the intersection of North Roan Street and West Elk Avenue.

A New Commercial Landmark

The approved site plan is a revised iteration of one originally sanctioned in 2021. The go-ahead sees the Knoxville-based company working with a total building footprint of 6,605 square feet, comfortably accommodating 50 parking spaces. In line with legal requirements, two of these parking slots are assigned as ADA spaces.

City planners initially raised concerns regarding certain modifications to the stormwater devices and the extension of the sidewalk along North Roan Street, as per the Elizabethton City Code. These matters have since been addressed and resolved, as confirmed by Planning Director Rich DesGroseilliers during last night’s meeting.

Weigel’s: A Legacy of Service

Weigel’s has a longstanding tradition of being at the heart of local communities, tracing its roots back to the mid-1800s when Carl Augustus Weigel, a German immigrant, purchased a 470-acre farm in Wartburg, Tennessee. Over time, the family’s farming business transitioned into a thriving dairy enterprise known as Broadacre Dairy, reaching its prime with a livestock count exceeding 400 cattle by 1951.

With the opening of the first Weigel’s Farm Store in 1958, the brand name became synonymous with the original “Jug O’ Milk”. Famed for its affordability, customers could purchase a gallon of milk for 77 cents, a bargain underpinned by a mere 25-cent deposit for the initial milk jug. Fast forward to 1970, Weigel’s store on Emory Road in Knoxville made a gamble that paid off with the chain’s first self-serve gasoline pumps.

Branching Out

The Elizabethton store is set to feature 16 gasoline pumps, upholding Weigel’s legacy as a multifaceted provider. Drawing from the brand’s historical roots, the new store symbolizes the relentless expansion of the Weigel’s brand. This expansion saw Weigel’s making its furthest stride from its original Broadacre Dairy with the opening of Store 93 in Kingsport in 2019. Despite this, the upcoming Elk Avenue store in Elizabethton could potentially claim the title for being the furthest from the original dairy, tentatively labeled as a 123.1-mile, two-hour trip away.

Other Planning Approvals

Besides the Weigel’s store, the planning commission also endorsed the replat of three lots totalling 1.3877 acres, pending septic system approval. The meeting also saw the green light given to the subdivision of a 0.72-acre parcel into two separate lots located between Milligan Highway and Buffalo Creek Road.

These strategic growth plans set the city of Elizabethton on course for a vibrant commercial future, reinforcing the promise of local commerce and increasing accessibility to necessary commodities and conveniences.