Residents sound off, Union ‘compromise’ reached by FMPC
After nearly two hours of discussion on plans to improve Union Road, Farragut Municipal Planning Commission approved a compromise during its Thursday, May 16 regular meeting, designed to slightly mitigate the physical impact on property owners most affected.
The road plans were discussed at length at FMPC’s Thursday, April 18 meeting as well. As
presented, the Union Road
design plans show two 11-foot lanes with curb and gutter,
an 8-foot grass strip buffer and a 10-foot shared-use path.
Most of the design specifications are tied to TDOT
requirements, as that government entity is providing a roughly $3.4 million grant to construct the road.
Commissioner Rose Ann Kile said she “hears the residents saying they want to maintain a rural look” to the road, and added she was trying to determine “the best way to met the safety goal, as well as minimize the impact to the citizens.”
After FMPC debated the issue, more than a dozen individuals spoke regarding Union Road — similar to what occurred at the April meeting, where most were in opposition to the plans as presented.
Fox Run resident Russ Buchanan said he was not opposed to the road being improved, and that “it needs to be improved,” but suggested “(tabling) the TDOT requirements. We don’t have to over-design it.”
Fox Run resident Brad Thompson was just one of several who described the project as “massive, massive overkill” and he also requested FMPC “postpone the vote.”
“No one will be more impacted than us,” said Charlene Troutt, whose property line fronts 26 percent of the project.
“We will only be left with 27 feet of grass in front of our home,” she added, and went on to say she and her husband, Jack Troutt, also will lose 48 mature trees to the project.
“It’s just too big of a footprint. I appreciate the Town’s vision, but I would ask the Town advocate for the rights of the property owners.”
She also asked if it might be possible to “slide” the project “to the south side” of Union Road, in hopes it would be of lesser impact to her land.
Melissa Boles, who also lives along Union Road, commended Kile: “you are the only one listening to your community.”
Then to the entire Commission, Boles said, “Listen to us, listen to your people.”
“(Former Farragut Mayor) Bob Leonard would be appalled that the Town of Farragut is trying to displace citizens to put in a road that citizens do not want,” said Mike Rothmann of Fox Run as he also asked the road’s design and funding be re-evaluated.
“A lot of people I have talked to (who are not opposed to the Union Road construction) are not here,” Commissioner and Town Vice Mayor Louise Povlin said. “That is a dangerous road for people coming out of Fox Run and Saddle Ridge. They may not be here, but they have voiced (their support) to me.”
Since the April meeting, Town engineer Darryl Smith told FMPC he had received clarification from TDOT, in which the minimum grass strip requirement is 2.5 feet.
In the Commission’s prepared materials, Smith’s report stated members were to consider whether the size of the grass strip would be the 2.5 feet (TDOT’s minimum), 6 feet (FMPC’s minimum) or the current 8-foot wide increment listed.
Smith made a presentation to FMPC, and as discussion got under way Kile suggested changing the grass strip size from 8 to 3 feet.
Povlin then shared a detailed Power Point informational explanation in support of the project.
“I realize this process has gone on quite a bit since the contract was approved in 2016,” she said, also sharing a timeline of the project, which has included six public meetings.
“Public input has been effective in shaping the design of this road,” she added. “We were blessed to get exceptions.”
Povlin said she believed a 3-foot grass strip, if approved, would be a safety concern.
“I have to start thinking of the safety of the most vulnerable user (of the multi-use path), and the safety of that person is in the forefront,” the vice mayor said. “I think we would need (more of a) barrier there.”
Commissioner Noah Myers said, “What I am hearing is that these people have been compelled to speak before this body on what they feel is an overdesigned road.”
He also mused about the possibility of finding alternative funding, if possible.
Following further discussion, including a plea from Jack Troutt for Town officials to meet with him and his wife “to show us what it will look like,” Myers made an amendment to the motion to approve the project, stipulating the 26 percent Troutt property footage would have a 3-foot grass strip.
“What we are trying to do tonight is come up with a better and more fair plan,” Myers said. “Again, there may be some changes, and we may need to go further.”
“We can’t expect you to walk away from $4 million,” Jack Troutt said.
“We have shrunk it as much as we can” Myers said. “We are trying to make an imperfect plan, less imperfect.”
The vote passed unanimously.
In a later interview, Povlin said the matter “is now out of our hands until (the Board of Mayor and Aldermen) approve the contract itself” at a later unspecified date.
