Oppose, support
Citizens Forum is anti-, pro-Town Center apartments before Farragut Municipal Planning Commission
While Farragut Municipal Planning Commission approved the concept plan for the proposed Farragut Town Center at Biddle Farms development for the old Kroger property along Kingston Pike in July, its meeting last Thursday, Aug. 20, featured strong citizens’ comments.
Town Community Development director Mark Shipley read into the minutes 10 citizens’ comments opposing the portion of the plan that will put more than 200 upscale apartments on the back portion of the land. Two comments supported the plan.
“As a long term resident of Farragut, I STRONGLY oppose the proposal of apartments on the property next to Kroger,” Michelle Chandler wrote. “Our school(s) are overcrowded, teachers are quitting due to this. We do not have the infrastructure in place for additional residential development, let alone housing such as this.”
“The Planning Commission should reject this plan,” Mike Mitchell wrote. “It is too risky. It is the wrong location. It could do too much harm to the Town and the property value of Farragut residents. People moved here to get away from an urban environment. Trying to be all things to all people is a sure way to be nothing to anyone.”
“Please do not allow apartments to be built at the Old Kroger site,” Terri Savage stated. “The traffic on Concord Road is already out of control. For those of us who live in Concord Hills and the other neighborhoods that access Concord Road, leaving or returning home in the afternoon is near impossible.”
However, Elizabeth Ham of Village Green e-mailed her support of the “proposed apartment complex at the location of the former Kroger,” while another letter writer, David Rea of Brixworth, e-mailed his own support to Farragut Mayor Ron Williams Saturday, Aug. 22.
“Just wanted you to know that I support adding apartments at this site, as well as the commercial development that will bring in sales tax dollars to the town,” he stated. “I have lived in Farragut for 28 years, and every time I hear someone like Mike Mitchell rail against further development of areas in the Town, my answer is, ‘If you don’t want that area developed, then buy the land yourself and turn it into a conservation easement.’
“I have seen much development in the past 28 years, and the vast majority is good. I also do not believe that traffic in the Town is bad,”
Rea further stated.
“I moved here from the Chicago area, and traffic here is a walk in the park compared to that in most larger cities, including the city of Knoxville.”
Town, other officials speak
Town staffers and planners have been wrestling with how best to proceed zoning-wise with the developer, as both work to find a designation that fits the plans and won’t slow down its progress.
“This project includes a mix of commercial and multi-family residential and is mostly within the general commercial (C-1) or Planned Commerce Zoning Districts with the Mixed-Use Town Center land use overlay,” Shipley explained in a report to FMPC.
“The project includes some design elements that would appear to fit well with the objectives of a planned development, such as public streets angled parking, a Town square and a potential linear park along the flood plain of Turkey Creek,” he added.
Commissioner Jon Greene, along with Farragut Mayor Ron Williams and Vice Mayor Louise Povlin, were among those going on record to support the change, as did FMPC Vice Chair Ed St. Clair and commissioner Noah Myers.
“We have had reservations with PCD’s in the past but on this mixed-use project, it makes the most sense,” Myers said. “I do believe we will end up with a better end product.
“After a lengthy discussion at the staff/developer meeting Aug. 4, it emerged that this project with its unique characteristics and surrounding plan of development would be a good candidate for the PCD, especially given that the concept plan has already been presented and favorably received.”
Not only have the plans been discussed with Town staff and FMPC commissioners, but Shipley noted it also had been discussed by the Comprehensive Land Use Plan committee.
Shipley pointed out the Town “has struggled with its two PCD developments in the past and has generally avoided them,” and in recent months, had considered doing away with the designation entirely, but decided against the move “due to grandfathering concerns.
“We will have lot of work to do from this moment forward to get the details nailed down,” he added.
Don Kendall, project architect, along with Farragut developer Budd Cullom, also weighed in during the meeting.
