$300g pedestrian greenway proposal sent back to BOMA
Approval for a proposed preliminary plan to build a pedestrian greenway through an underpass east of the Kingston Pike/Campbell Station Road intersection was derailed when Farragut Municipal Planning Commission sent the issue back to Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
“I support this idea,” Planning Commissioner Noah Myers said during FMPC’s meeting Thursday, Aug 16. “(But) I think we have other issues we need to work through.”
Town of Farragut engineer Darryl Smith said the Board awarded a contract to Fulghum, MacIndoe & Associates in December 2017 to design the greenway.
“The design provides for construction of an 8-foot concrete greenway through the existing arch bridge over Little Turkey Creek,” he said, adding it would be a concrete slab about half the width of the span and one foot above normal flow elevation.
The proposed greenway, budgeted at $300,000, would connect the existing greenway behind Brooklawn Commercial Development (Kroger) to a sidewalk on the northern side of Kingston Pike, Smith said.
“This is something we want to pursue,” he added.
However, “it will flood during heavy rains, and it does increase maintenance costs because we would have to go down there and clean it out occasionally,” Smith said, adding, “most people are not walking during a storm.”
“That’s a pretty long tunnel. Are we going to put any lighting in there?” Planning Commissioner Louise Povlin asked.
“We don’t plan on putting any lighting in there at this point,” Smith answered. “During the daytime it’s pretty well lit.”
“I think this is an awesome alternative,” Myers said. “We’ve always talked about the intersection at Kingston Pike and Campbell Station and about how to be able to get bicycles and pedestrians from one side of Kingston Pike to the other.”
But Gates Mill Drive resident Carol Christofferson opposed the plan. “It would like to say I am not in favor of tunnels,” she said. “It’s fine during the day, but all sorts of things go on at night.
“I suspect (the tunnel) is a cheaper way to connect across, but I would like you all to look at (building) a pedestrian/bike bridge across that street?”
“I’m sure it comes down to dollars,” Myers answered.
“Yeah, but, a 50-foot-long tunnel is creepy … especially now that I find it’s not going to be lit,” Christofferson said. “I think you are being penny wise and pound foolish.”
While Povlin saw the underpass greenway as an alternative, she said she would not use it, preferring the safety of a crosswalk.
However, if there was a festival and a lot of foot traffic, she could see the greenway being used. “That’s what we’re envisioning for our Town Center is having that kind of pedestrian traffic,” Povlin added.
Mayor Ron Pinchok said he still had concerns about the lack of lighting and need for a railing.
“Maybe we’re being premature,” Myers said. “Maybe it’s a Board of Mayor and Alderman decision.”
“At this point, the Board has already approved it,” Smith said.
