presstalk 671-TALK (8255) or editor@farragutpress.com
• A family-oriented multi-use complex would be more beneficial to the community than apartments at this particular location. Why not condos or villas to purchase to own rather than rental property? The apartment complex will just be a revolving door of tenants at the end of their lease. We are in desperate need of an aquatic center with indoor/outdoor pools, sports complex, tennis & basketball courts, perhaps a bowling alley, a park with an amphitheater, a food truck court, etc. There is no place for kids to hang out after school, during the summer or on weekends. Some of my best memories as a kid were at Concord Pool. The Town of Farragut can host sports tournaments if we have a sports complex earning revenue to the local area, not to mention jobs. For example, during the Fall & Winter, public and private high school swim/diving teams have to find an indoor pool to practice and hold their meets. There are only two options in the area. They are the UT Aquatics Center and the Claire Donahue Aquatic Center in Lenoir City. Sometimes these teams drive from West Knoxville and Farragut to practice at 8 p.m. on school nights because it is their only option. During the summer, the Town could host swim meets. Maybe add a hotel so families can have a place convenient to local events.
• The people of the Town of Farragut have been dropped on our heads during a trust fall with our elected officials. We will never again trust the mess that the BOMA is. I will be elated to get to vote out the current Farragut aldermen as their misdeeds and refusal to act in the will of the people and in the best interest of our children is a travesty. They should be ashamed of themselves because of their refusal to listen to their constituents. The very reason we live in this community is because of its charm and lack of dense housing developments. The proposal of around 1,000 apartments in three developments will destroy Farragut.
• I want to thank the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen for their thorough work over many years to develop and adapt a Comprehensive Land Use Plan and a Town Center concept. They’ve been flexible to adapt as necessary, and diligent in communicating with our residents. (Town Center approval Jan. 28) for the Biddle Property lets the Town Center project get started (pending site plan approval). It makes sense and it’s good for Farragut. I also want to thank Mayor (Ron Williams) and his team for finding ways to conduct the Town’s business while keeping us both safe and engaged during this pandemic. Wear a mask, get the vaccine and be considerate of the common good.
• In the Jan. 28 edition (of the farragutpress) there was a Presstalk response to the Letter to the Editor of the previous Jan. 21 edition. The Presstalk caller termed this letter as “stupid and trash” and criticized the farragutpress for even publishing such “trash.” Even if you disagree with the writer, we have freedom of speech in this country — or at least we used to.
• I’d like to voice my opposition to the Town of Farragut (Town Center at Biddle Farms) as well as the conduct of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen regarding such. Where to begin? ... So much for considering the opinions of the residents. Alderman (and Vice Mayor Louise) Povlin confided in another resident the Board had to allow a High Density Residential project like this in order to block (Doug Horne) and other developers from wanting the same. ... (Alderman Scott Meyer) and other elected officials then took the opportunity to play the victim card at the beginning and end of the (Jan. 28) meeting. ... There’s been a lot of criticism directed toward (Town) officials as true plans (recently) became known — some of it inappropriate. But when they try to circumvent the rules, or law, by catagorizing these changes as minor, which doesn’t require them to conduct “specific and public” input — then that is fraudulent. When they did say, or their positions say, that their regular public meetings constituted regular public input, that’s even worse. We need better people running our government.
