Future spending talk from BOMA
In a three-hour meeting Thursday, March 25, Farragut’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen tackled its Capital Investment Program, which encompasses 35 proposed and ongoing Town projects spanning the next six years.
It was second in a series of 2022 fiscal year budget workshops, which are scheduled to continue through April.
David Smoak, Town administrator, said he broke the projects into “three major areas: general government, parks and engineering. We’ve got a quick snapshot of what those line items look like, over the next six years, and talk about each project, in each of these line items … I want to make sure you understand the projects, and circle back, about where you might want to see these projects, or perhaps push them back, or move them up, or perhaps not (proceed) at all.”
Department heads also attended the meeting virtually while Smoak took BOMA through the 35-item list.
Under General Government, projects listed were: Campbell Station Inn (interior); Climate control building for public works; Dimmick House demolition; Kingston Pike Pedestrian Underpass at North Fork of Turkey Creek; land acquisition; Sonja Drive sidewalk (phases 1-3); Town Hall renovations; Evans Road Greenway connection; Little Turkey Creek Greenway-connector from Brookmere to Sheffield neighborhoods; Red Mill Trailhead; Little Turkey Creek Greenway – Enclave @ Sheffield; Brixworth Greenway connection; and the Everett Road Greenway connection.
While preliminary budget documents tentatively appropriated $250,000 for interior work on Campbell Station Inn, the Board agreed workshops and more discussion were needed to better determine its future usage.
Smoak said the need for the climate-controlled building (estimated at $270,000) was more immediate, and when funded would replace the Dimmick House (demolition estimated at $30,000) that is currently being used for storage on the McFee Park property.
The Board also agreed to push out the Pedestrian Underpass project to the 2023 fiscal year.
“It’s not a necessity,” Vice Mayor Louise Povlin said. “I think it could be moved out a year, we will see what happens with the Biddle property;
Smoak said the Sonja Drive sidewalk project “is broken down over next three years for a total cost of $560,000.”
“I understand it takes time … but I would like to move it into this fiscal year,” Povlin said. “That is the most important part; that road is not even wide enough to stripe; that is in the Parental Responsibility Zone … it’s not a safe area, so we need to give our parents peace of mind.”
Town engineer Darryl Smith said he believed construction could get under way “within a year.”
“I would like at least to tell our parents we have this funded,” the Vice Mayor said referring to the design and Phase 1, from Admiral to Dundee.
Concerning Town Hall renovations, which are tentatively estimated to cost $1.15 million over the next three years, Smoak said an initial $50,000 estimated cost has been tentatively appropriated for the design work.
The remaining projects under this category were discussed, but none set to commence until 2023 although Alderman Drew Burnette suggested moving up the Little Turkey Creek Greenway connector from Brookmere to Sheffield neighborhoods.
Alderman Scott Meyer balked at the suggestion, saying “the South Ward already has a greenway, and we haven’t gotten to (line item 35) Grigsby Chapel,” adding he was “not happy” is it so far down the list at 35.
“We need to figure out what to do with Grigsby Chapel; don’t want it washed over simply because we want a greenway,” he added.
“Grigsby Chapel is a conversation we are going to have shortly,” Mayor Ron Williams said. “Let’s move forward.”
Smoak explained the items were not listed in relation to priority, but rather just listed in the CIP report.
“We are just going in order,” he added. “As we get to each item, we will discuss them. At the end of this workshop (we) will revise the CIP. I will talk to staff, and we may need to come back to do another workshop.”
Smoak also noted projects had to be spaced out not just monetarily, but also regarding staff load.
Parks
Under the Parks category, 13 projects were listed, and only three were initially placed in the 2022 budget year: McFee Park Phase 4 (bike trails, trail head and parking, $335,000); Town Center restrooms ($300,000); and Mayor Bob Leonard Park Field Construction ($80,000).
“The trails won’t be too expensive, but the biggest expense will be the parking,” said Smoak, noting it will be constructed using permeable pavers.
After Meyer questioned the amount for Phase 4, Parks & Recreation director Sue Stuhl explained the Board could chose to build the trails only, but “would see parking spill over into area neighborhoods.”
“That is on top of the $8 million we have already spent?” Meyer asked.
“When we first started talking about McFee Park, the price was $15 to $16 million,” said Alderman Ron Pinchok, who noted the components of the park had been designed in phases.
“It was not like the $8 million was supposed to be the completion of the park,” he added.
“Eight million is a lot of money for a park, especially for a Town that doesn’t have a property tax, but has stormwater issues … and a deathtrap. Grigsby Chapel is a deathtrap waiting to happen,” Meyer said.
“Table it — I’m not interested in talking about this until we talk about streets,” he added.
“I am struggling,” Povlin said. ”We have spent $8 million, and I thought then we would back away from additional phases, so we could get to projects that have waited for some time.”
Engineering
projects
Slated for the 2022 budget year going into last week’s workshop were: stormwater improvements ($200,000); stormwater improvements master plan ($250,000); Virtue Road Phase II (Harville-Turkey Creek, $330,000); Union Road improvements ($3.52 million); Kingston Pike Corridor study for pedestrian enhancements ($100,000); Boyd Station Road improvements ($300,000).
As listed on the CIP, No. 35, a proposed light on Grigsby Chapel and Fretz Road at a cost of $270,000, was originally slated for fiscal year 2024. But Meyer, still passionate about the issue, asked it be moved up and additional roadway mitigation efforts be considered.
“This is the most passionate CIP project to me,” Meyer said. “There are stories I’ve heard, where people have lost loved ones to accidents on Grigsby Chapel. One man feels he is risking his life, taking his children to St. John Neumann School (where Meyer’s daughter also attends).
“It is my opinion the safety of the folks who live off Grigsby Chapel are the highest responsibility,” he added. ”We all work for them. Those people are telling me they don’t feel safe. I’m insulted we are doing a stop light two years out. They are not happy. They think we live in a golden tower, building parks while folks every day try to get their kids to school, or try to get to Turkey Creek, and the speeds are exorbitant.
“I’m done talking about parks, we’ve got to do something about Grigsby Chapel, and $260,000 for a stop light is not going to do it. We’ve got to invest in the safety of our residents in the North Ward in our Town.”
Meyer proposed a circle at St. John’s Court and a stop light at Fretz Road.
“It has been a struggle,” Povlin said when called on by Meyer.
“Those two intersections don’t meet warrants for traffic mitigation efforts,” she added, acknowledging residents have complained about traffic issues.
“If it meets warrants, it is probably a good idea, but if it doesn’t, it’s probably a bad one,” Smith said.. “If it doesn’t meet warrants, I would like to know pros and cons of a signal there, before I make a recommendation.”
Meyer further suggested speed mitigation be considered for St. John Court. “I am looking to the staff to make suggestions, but the North Ward folks have waited long enough,” he said. “Both intersections need to be addressed this year.
“I think Scott has covered it, the need is there,” Williams said. “Hopefully (staff) can figure out their data, make sure we fit into the next workshop.”
