Car restoration shop … and eatery?

A classic car restoration business on Union Valley Road may be serving food in the near future.

For Atomic Speed Shop to serve food, Oak Ridge City Council will need to approve rezoning for its location on 114 Union Valley Road, near the intersection with South Illinois Avenue.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission recently approved this rezoning. The agenda for that meeting explains the Atomic Speed Shop will continue its auto restoration work, even after the restaurant opens. Currently the area is zoned for industry.

Reid Elwood of Atomic Speed Shop said in an interview that he doesn’t yet have any specifics on what the restaurant plans to serve or even the general type of eatery.

“Give us two or three months. We’ll have that worked out,” he said.

Elwood said the “sheer amount” of traffic that passes through the area between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. each workday might bring in people who’d be interested in stopping to eat. He said the restaurant area would, if approved, be located toward the front of the business, while the vehicle restoration work would continue in the back.

Summit Place Townhomes

At the same Planning Commission meeting, the Municipal Planning Commission also voted to approve a final plat for Summit Place Townhomes, a development north of Summit Drive, subject to city staff comments. Jim Dodson, Planning Commission and City Council member made the motion, and Kelly Callison, his fellow Council and Planning Commission member, seconded.

Developer H.E. “Rusty” Bittle said at an earlier meeting and in an interview with The Oak Ridger that the units might be rentals aimed at people working for the Department of Energy facilities for specific periods of time. He said these people have large incomes and could spend them in Oak Ridge during their time staying at these rental homes. Infrastructure for the development was under construction as of the time of the meeting, Jan. 14.