Kingston Pike Village Phase 1 site plan passes FMPC despite conditions, concerns
The 18.65-acre Planned Commercial/Convenience Development, located behind and to the west of Little Joe’s Pizza, fronts South Watt Road and part of Kingston Pike near Dixie Lee Junction. The site plan laid out the first apartment phase, which involves nine three- and four-story buildings, with 228 total apartment units.
While Mark Bialik, the development’s engineer and president of GBS Engineering, said he was working with Town’s staff on most concerns, some issues continued to stall progress — including adequate parking,
Town staff noted the development was 41 parking spaces short for apartment residents.
Bialik said he had taken out 120 spaces because FMPC and Town staff told him to cut back so “you would not see a sea of concrete.”
But Mark Shipley, Farragut Community Development director, said he referred to the grocery store part of the development, not the apartments.
Bialik said he would find a place to add the 41 spaces.
Planning Commissioner Noah Myers said trees in transition areas, near some proposed as grading by Bialik according to Shipley, are “treated as holy grails.
“I really don’t think this is negotiable,” Myers added.
However, Myers said Bialik could grade outside the 50-foot transition zone, away from the trees.
“That will help lower the (retaining) wall by 10 feet,” Bialik said.
In other business, FMPC approved unanimously appointing Farragut High School senior Nicholas LiMandri as its non-voting student representative. Other FHS students under consideration were seniors Jacob Allison and Hannah Lee, and junior Hayden Ott.
The Commission also recommended Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approve the rezoning of 10.23 acres at the eastern intersection of North Campbell Station and Fretz roads from R-1 to R-1 Open Space Residential.
FMPC also approved unanimously:
• a concept plan for a proposed subdivision on 114.32 acres off Union Road known as the Ivey Farm
• a request from Comcast to install underground conduit along portions of Parkside Drive, North Campbell Station Road, Campbell Lakes and Lakesedge drives
• a site plan for Knoxville-Farragut Storage LLC., to build a mini storage facility at 11775 Snyder Road on six acres formerly owned by U.S. Golf
• approved the adoption of a multi-jurisdictional local hazard mitigation plan between the Town, Knox County and City of Knoxville, which covers mitigation measures of natural hazards, such as floods.
