Access road, critical for Town Center, is closer
Farragut Town Center development, located between the former Phillips 66 convenience store and Village Veterinary Clinic off Kingston Pike, is one step closer to moving ahead now that developer Craig Allen received a recommendation to add an additional access road connecting the development to North Campbell Station Road.
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission recommended the additional connection to Allen’s concept plan, to Board of Mayor and Aldermen, during its meeting Thursday, May 18. It’s contingent upon Allen adding a deceleration lane to the access and conducting a traffic impact study.
According to the concept plan, Allen is proposing a Town Center-zoned development with commercial and residential structures. The plan already had access approved onto Kingston Pike from just west of Village Veterinary Clinic — in addition to access from Farragut High School’s Campbell Station entrance.
“That [new] access became necessary because the property is so long and narrow that when you get to the middle of the property, you don’t have good access,” Craig said.
Mark Shipley, Farragut Community Development director, said the new access from North Campbell Station Road would line up across from Jamestowne Boulevard and could create a signalized condition that “could relieve some congestion at the Kingston Pike/North Campbell Station Road intersection.”
“I think the access makes a ton of sense,” Commissioner Noah Myers said. “For a project of this size, having three different access points makes a ton of sense.”
“I agree with that except I still have issues,” said Commissioner Louise Povlin, who also serves as a Farragut alderman [Ward 1, North]. “The other two access points are fairly well compromised.”
Shipley said the proposed traffic light would need to be addressed with an updated traffic impact study, but he added the staff is supportive of the additional connection, which, he said, also could help promote better connectivity and enhance the development’s marketability.
“I’m not completely opposed to a signalized intersection,” Myers said. “We just need to think about timing and use and so forth.”
However, Village Green resident Ken Frazer disagreed, saying he did not think the access or traffic light on Campbell Station would help with traffic.
“The intersection with Kingston Pike and Campbell Station is one of the worst in [Town] during the rush hours and there are three rush hours,” Frazer said. “The traffic light is just what you don’t need at that intersection, yet it’s something that will help getting in and out of this complex. “I have to wonder, ‘Will it really’ because will the traffic light be long enough to get out if you’re bottled up with the traffic that’s already waiting to move on Campbell Station Road?” he added. “So, I see it as a net gain of zero.”
Frazer also argued the project is not a “Town Center” property, the parking is confusing and the complex would create more empty retail stores.
“It’s a bad project and you ought to think it over,” he said.
FMPC granted approval for the amended concept plan.
In other business, FMPC:
• Approved unanimously a site plan for a 40,000-square-foot memory care facility site that will be built to the west of National Health Care Corporation’s Farragut assisted living facility, 120 Cavette Hill Lane off Kingston Pike and abutting Sugarwood Drive.
• Approved unanimously a site plan for a Phase II project to remodel east end of West End Center.
• Approved unanimously Town staff’s proposed fiscal year 2018 Capital Investment Plan.
• Appointed Commissioner Ed Whiting as an FMPC member on Farragut Stormwater Advisory Committee.
