Scannell Properties is back with a revised plan to bring about 93.6 acres along Manchester Pike into the City of Murfreesboro, five months after the City Council voted down the annexation, and the new version removes data centers from the list of allowed uses. The annexation petition and a request to zone 79.26 acres as a planned unit development (PUD) and 8.5 acres as Commercial Fringe (CF) were on the Murfreesboro Planning Commission's Oct. 21, 2026, agenda under New Business, with a recommended public hearing date of Dec. 2, 2026.
The Oct. 21 meeting was the step where the commission sets the hearings, not the vote on the project. The city had not posted results from the meeting when this story was published.
What was on the Oct. 21 Planning Commission agenda?
Two related items were listed under New Business, both handled by Principal Planner Ryan Robeson:
- Annexation petition and plan of services (2026-506) for about 93.6 acres along Manchester Pike, including about 3,150 linear feet of Manchester Pike right-of-way. The agenda lists property owners Jennifer Workman, James and Gail Lewis, and Kenneth and Sharon Wilson as applicants. The staff report says Scannell Properties submitted the petition.
- Zoning application (2026-417) for about 79.26 acres to be zoned PUD (Manchester Pike Development PUD) and about 8.5 acres to be zoned CF at the same time as annexation, with Scannell Properties as the applicant.
Both items carry a recommended public hearing date of Dec. 2, 2026. The zoning staff report says the commission "should then discuss and then schedule this zoning request for a public hearing." On the annexation, staff wrote that it supports the request and is reviewing the plan of services to make sure nothing has changed.
Where is the Manchester Pike property?
The site is four parcels on the west side of Manchester Pike, north of Joe B. Jackson Parkway. Scannell's program book places it about three-quarters of a mile north of the Manchester Pike and Joe B. Jackson Parkway intersection. An earlier staff report included in the packet lists the parcels:
- 3326 Manchester Pike, 5.05 acres (Jennifer Workman)
- 3406 Manchester Pike, 57.93 acres (James and Gail Lewis)
- 3466 Manchester Pike, 6.61 acres (Kenneth and Sharon Wilson)
- A vacant 18.09-acre parcel (Kenneth and Sharon Wilson)
- About 3,150 linear feet of Manchester Pike right-of-way, roughly 5.9 acres
The program book says the land is zoned RM and PUD under Rutherford County. The Manchester Farms apartments are being built to the north, Prologis and FedEx facilities sit to the west, and Interstate Warehousing and the Del Sol community are to the south. Single-family homes and undeveloped land are to the east.
Staff supports annexation because the land touches the current city limits, is inside the city's Urban Growth Boundary and can be served with city services.
What happened to the first Manchester Pike annexation request?
The city's records show this sequence:
- Feb. 4, 2026: The Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended annexation.
- March 11, 2026: The Planning Commission recommended approval of the PUD zoning, according to the new staff report.
- May 7, 2026: The City Council's vote on Resolution 26-R-PSA-09 to annex the land failed 3-3. Council members Kirt Wade and Shawn Wright and Mayor Shane McFarland voted yes. Madelyn Scales Harris, Austin Maxwell and Bill Shacklett voted no. Five people spoke against the annexation at the hearing, and the minutes say discussion covered the location of the development and traffic. Because the annexation failed, the council did not hold the zoning hearing.
- Sept. 2, 2026: Scannell brought a revised plan to a joint City Council and Planning Commission conceptual workshop. The new staff report says neither body objected to Scannell reapplying.
What changed in Scannell's new Manchester Pike plan?
The Oct. 21 staff report lists six changes from the plan the council saw in May:
1. Elam Farms Parkway stops short. Scannell would end its extension of Elam Farms Parkway short of the property line and dedicate the remaining right-of-way to the city, which could make the connection to Manchester Pike at its discretion. If the city wants the connection before the final phase is approved, Scannell would build it at its own cost. 2. Commercial land along Manchester Pike. An 8.5-acre CF area next to Manchester Pike would create a transition between zones and a commercial presence on the road. It is not part of the PUD. 3. No data centers. Data center use has been removed from the allowed use table. 4. A smaller northeast building. The building in the northeast part of the site is smaller and sits farther from the northern property line and from Manchester Pike. 5. Better screening. The landscape buffer for that building moves closer to Manchester Pike. 6. A Type E buffer. One was added at the recommendation of the Planning Commission and City Council at the workshop.
In March 2026, staff had already recommended removing "Data Center / Server Farm > 15,000 SF" from the use table. The new plan removes data centers entirely.
What would be built on the Manchester Pike site?
Scannell's program book, resubmitted Sept. 17, 2026, describes a commercial and light industrial development reached from a new extension of Elam Farms Parkway. Key points:
- Four buildings shown at 106,250, 106,250, 147,000 and 232,500 square feet, about 592,000 square feet in total. The March plan called for about 613,000 square feet.
- Height limit of 50 feet, with one building capped at 42 feet.
- Allowed uses include offices, retail, grocery, banks, a movie theater and veterinary clinics, plus manufacturing, storage and distribution of a long list of goods. Breweries and wineries would need to be at least 250 feet from residential property.
- Warehousing and distribution would be allowed only as accessory uses, and cross-docking is excluded.
- 24-hour operation would be allowed for any approved use that meets the city's noise and lighting standards.
- Three phases, starting with two buildings and about 960 feet of Elam Farms Parkway with a temporary turnaround. The book says construction could begin in spring 2027, and a traffic signal will likely be needed in phase 2 or 3.
- Tree save of about 20.26 acres, or 25% of the PUD, and a 20-foot Type E buffer along the northern property line next to the Manchester Farms apartments and county residential land.
The city's 2040 Major Transportation Plan calls for Elam Farms Parkway to become a three-lane road connecting to Manchester Pike, and for Manchester Pike to be widened to five lanes.
Does Murfreesboro allow data centers?
At the same Sept. 2 workshop, Assistant City Attorney John Tully presented a proposed zoning ordinance amendment to regulate data centers. According to the minutes, he covered water and sewer capacity, cooling, wastewater, noise, generators, site scale and jobs. Council members supported continuing to consider data centers with appropriate regulations. Rutherford County is weighing its own rules, covered in OnlyInMurfreesboro's story on the county data center moratorium hearing.
What happens next?
Staff recommends Planning Commission public hearings on Dec. 2, 2026, after which the commission would send recommendations to the City Council. The council would then hold its own hearing and vote on the annexation and zoning, as it did in May.
OnlyInMurfreesboro recently covered another annexation in the Old Lebanon Pike annexation and MTSU overlay story and development near the same interchange in the Butler Drive sewer district story near Buc-ee's and QuikTrip. Residents who want to follow the hearings can find meeting details in the Murfreesboro City Hall guide, and newcomers can learn more about the area in the Murfreesboro neighborhoods guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Murfreesboro annexing land on Manchester Pike?
Not yet. Scannell Properties and the property owners have filed a new petition to annex about 93.6 acres along Manchester Pike. Staff recommends Planning Commission public hearings on Dec. 2, 2026. The City Council would make the final decision.
Will the Manchester Pike development include a data center?
No. The Oct. 21 staff report says data center use has been removed from the plan's allowed use table.
Why did the City Council deny the Manchester Pike annexation?
On May 7, 2026, the council vote to annex the land failed 3-3. The minutes say discussion covered the location of the development and traffic, and five people spoke against it.
What would Scannell build on Manchester Pike?
The plan shows four commercial and light industrial buildings totaling about 592,000 square feet on 79.26 acres, plus an 8.5-acre commercial area along Manchester Pike.
Will Elam Farms Parkway connect to Manchester Pike?
The new plan ends Scannell's extension short of the property line and dedicates the right-of-way so the city can make the connection when it chooses. Scannell would build the connection at its own cost if the city asks for it before the final phase is approved.
Sources: Murfreesboro Planning Commission Oct. 21, 2026, agenda packet (items 9.c and 9.d staff reports, February and March 2026 staff reports and Manchester Pike Development program book), Murfreesboro City Council May 7, 2026, minutes, City Council and Planning Commission Joint Conceptual Workshop Sept. 2, 2026, minutes, City of Murfreesboro Agenda Center.
*Illustration: AI-generated image; not an actual Murfreesboro location.*