Saddle Ridge residents ask for relief
Saddle Ridge resident Tim Sayers and his wife, Joyce — ongoing opponents to various aspects of the under-construction Ivey Farms development next door — appealed to the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission Thursday, Oct. 15, asking for relief from current grading issues in the development.
In a lengthy email, read during Citizen’s Forum, Sayers noted Ivey Farms’ current grading work “is not in keeping with the grading of adjacent lots in Saddle Ridge
“These lots are adjacent to the lots in Saddle Ridge that are at the end of Paladin [Lane] and Lodge Pole [Lane] [are] … significantly higher that the grading in this area in Saddle Ridge.
“This grading is similar to the unsightly grading that was done on what I believe is lot 32 [of] the Ivey Farms development which is adjacent to the end of Pecos Rd. in Saddle Ridge.”
The Sayers’ live along Pecos Road, and previously, along with other residents, have complained of extensive rain water run off from Ivey Farms, as well as the fact that Pecos Road will become a connector road between the two subdivisions.
“The fact that the Town of Farragut approved the grading of the Ivey Farms property sends the message that the plans were not thoroughly reviewed and understood prior to approval, or that the Town of Farragut and Goodall Homes have little, to no regard for the existing residents in Saddle Ridge.
“The residents of Saddle Ridge that have paid taxes and supported the community for years are being left in the dust in regards [to] the Ivey Farms Project. I mean that both figuratively and literally. … Mayor [Ron] Williams and Vice Mayor [Louise] Povlin clearly do not support the residents of Saddle Ridge. … Since the Mayor and Vice Mayor are not supporting the residents of Saddle Ridge, I believe their position also dissuades the other members of the MPC for supporting the residents of Saddle Ridge.
“The Town of Farragut and Goodall Homes still has the chance to be good neighbors … I am once again asking the Town of Farragut and Goodall Homes to be good neighbors in regards to activities and issues related to the Ivey Farms development.”
Povlin, who suffered some technical difficulties during her response to the letter, and provided farragutpress with printed remarks following the meeting, started out by saying, “While we do approve [developer’s] plans, we can’t tell them how” to grade the land. She then added, “I am tired of people dragging my name though the mud on issues I refuse to compromise on. I won’t compromise on subdivision regulations and I will not compromise on our Comprehensive Land Use Plan. I will remind this whole body that I have a road going in behind my house, [in Ivey Farms] that will eventually have 180 homes on it, so please don’t tell me I’m not impacted by this development and this construction here.”
She went on to list the ways she has supported Saddle Ridge, from working to “rezone the neighborhoods in the northwest area of Farragut from Hardin Valley Academy (HVA) back to Farragut High School,” to serving as “the singular driving force for seeking a design exception on Union Road” which was ultimately approved with 11-foot lanes and 30 mph design speed.
A round-a-bout initially planned for the Union Road redesign which would have disrupted the Saddle Ridge entrance and HOA property in front of the clubhouse, was removed entirely after Povlin advocated for the change.
She said she met with Saddle Ridge residents “several times” as Ivey Farms began to develop, and advocated to delay opening Pecos Road to protect its residents form construction traffic, and pushed for an amended concept plan to help limit traffic between the two neighborhoods.
“I have done a lot for Saddle Ridge, and advocated for what I can advocate for,” Povlin said. “But apparently, it is never going to be enough…unless I compromise our ordinances.”
Mayor Ron Williams also weighed in.
“To Mr. Sayers .. your alderman, vice mayor, and mayor have all supported Saddle Ridge in every way until you asked us numerous time to not connect the secondary entrance of Ivey Farms subdivision to the designated connection on Pecos Road, which is totally against our subdivision regulations — we have to do that.
“I do know about construction, I live next door to [under construction] Brookmere and we’ve been eating dust for more than a year now.
“I’m very sorry, and I’m sorry you feel that way about your mayor vice mayor and aldermen. We have no ill will toward you, but we have to follow what is put in front of us. It may not be popular, but it is what we have to do.”
“I’m glad the Town’s officials have no ill will toward my wife and me,” Sayers said after the meeting. “We also have no ill will toward the Town officials; our issue is with the decisions they have or have not made.”
