Scout ‘shedding light’ on Town storage needs
Farragut Boy Scout Will Harry wants to earn his Eagle Scout rank by building a storage shed at Town of Farragut’s Outdoor Classroom at 220 N. Campbell Station Road, at the west entrance to Farragut High School.
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission approved Harry’s site plan for the structure during its meeting Thursday, Oct. 19. “We applaud you for your efforts,” Commissioner Noah Myers said. “You are an asset to the community.”
As an Eagle Scout project, Harry, a Troop 444 member and Farragut High School senior, is planning to build a 10-by-10-foot shed.
Harry, whose troop meets at Farragut Presbyterian Church, said fellow scouts from his troop would help him construct the building.
To raise money for the project, he said, “I’m planning on selling chocolate bars in my school, Farragut High School, and outside of stores at Turkey Creek, as well as car washes.”
“As you may know, the Outdoor Classroom was created as a space to be used for educational purposes, particularly as they relate to environmental awareness and stewardship,” Mark Shipley, Farragut Community Development director, said. “Tools that are used at the Outdoor Classroom are currently stored in a small bin that has limited space.”
Shipley said a few months ago, Harry approached Lori Saal, Stormwater coordinator who oversees the Outdoor Classroom. “The project was then discussed further with the Codes staff and Town’s Public Works director,” he added.
The structure would have vertical lumber planks, which were salvaged from barns, and a metal roof, which would be green to match the existing pavilion, Shipley said, adding a question had arose as to whether such a minor project should be held to provisions, such as masonry, of the Architectural Design Standards.
“There is some flexibility embedded in design standards for minor projects,” he added.
“The applicant is proposing to use salvaged barn planks for most of the building’s siding. The building also is very small and proposed in a somewhat obscure location as viewed from North Campbell Station Road.
Shipley said the bin being used as storage is in bad condition.
“Certainly having the storage building would be very helpful,” he added. “... We store some tools that we use on the property, so this [storage building] would be an asset for that piece of property. I think it’s a very good project.
“They are planning to set the concrete slab wide enough where it could hold a couple of rain barrels for rainwater harvesting. The Town is paying the concrete portion.”
On Oct. 20, Sue Stuhl, Farragut Parks & Leisure Services director, said if a scout wants to do an Eagle or Gold Award project or any other project in a park, along a greenway or on Town Hall property, there is a process and application, which can be found online at townoffarragut.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/334.
However, she added, “We would suggest they call Alden Rosner first to talk about it before they complete the application, just to make sure they are talking about a Town park instead of a county park.”
To do a project at the Outdoor Classroom, she said a potential applicant would need to contact Saal.
For more information, contact Abbie Casey, the Town’s current AmeriCorps service member, at 865-966-7057.
