BOMA conducts business minus mayor, vice mayor
With just three Aldermen, Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill and Vice Mayor Dot LaMarche absent, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted on various measures Thursday, July 14.
The members in attendance were Aldermen Ron Pinchok, Bob Markli and Louise Povlin. By a unanimous vote, the BOMA members present chose Markli to serve as chairman for the meeting.
On second reading, BOMA unanimously rezoned about 13.706 acres of land west of Briarstone subdivision and across from Anchor Park to R-3. The rezoning comes with a restriction that the property have no more than 35 households. Ron Pinchok made the motion and Louise Povlin seconded it.
BOMA voted unanimously on first reading to approve three other ordinances related to setbacks and parking areas in General Commercial, Regional Commercial and Office zoning districts. Mark Shipley, Community Development director said the ordinances would give incentive for developers to put parking areas to the side or behind buildings.
“It … helps to showcase the appearance of a nice looking building,” Shipley said, referring to the effect of moving buildings closer to the street.
“It was trying to think outside the box,” Noah Myers, who had proposed the idea initially, told the aldermen.
“Makes sense to me,” Pin-chok said.
“I think we’re all excited about the development of Outlet Drive,” Markli said, regarding the ordinance about setback provisions for Regional Com-mercial Districts, such as Outlet Drive.
BOMA also unanimously approved an ordinance on first reading that would increase the minimum width of interior parking lot islands from 5 feet to 7.5 feet.
Two other ordinances on first reading approved unanimously by BOMA involved menu boards. The first, at the request of First Farragut LLC, involved allowing menu boards in the Mixed Use Town Center zoning district to be up to 36 square feet while also requiring them to remain hidden from adjacent properties and rights of way.
The second, at the request of the Turkey Creek Zaxby’s involved allowing menu boards outside of the MUTC zoning district to be up to 35 square feet.
Yet another ordinance on first reading involved allowing businesses to have two wall signs rather than just one. First Farragut LLC requested the ordinance on behalf of a potential future tenant, identified as Starbucks during an earlier Farragut Municipal Planning Commission meeting of the same issue. At that meeting, Kelly Hedden, senior vice president of Barber McMurray architects said Starbucks requested internally illuminated letters on wall signs.
However, the ordinance does not allow for them in the MUTC zoned area. BOMA passed the ordinance unanimously on first reading.
BOMA also unanimously voted to reappoint Jack Haines to the Farragut Museum Advisory Committee.
During the Town administrator’s report, David Smoak, town administrator, explained about storm damage to the historic Avery Russell House and Town Hall June 14.
Knox County Commissioner John Schoonmaker spoke during the citizens’ forum about the decision to combine three projects on Canton Hollow Road into one contract. He said he made the decision in order to get more competitive bids.
