presstalk 671-TALK (8255)
• Last week a Town of Farragut government official listed a variety of new commercial developments coming to Farragut. One comment in the (farrragutpress) story ought to have the North Ward citizens questioning future traffic patterns. The official stated a future round-about will be coming on Watt Road at the lower entrance of Mayor Bob Leonard Park. This decision was likely made as a traffic-calming measure and to stop semi-trucks from using Watt Road to bypass the scales.
What does this mean for future traffic patterns? Likely these semi-trucks will exit off at Highway 321 and come east on Kingston Pike from Lenoir City to North Campbell Station Road. Or, they will take Watt Road north and come over the hill and down Everett Road through several neighborhoods. If they take the latter route, will they head back to Interstate 40 by using Smith Road and Grigsby Chapel to get to North Campbell Station? Do we really want an increase in truck traffic on these roads versus a major road like Watt Road?
Limiting access to Farragut via Watt Road means large truck traffic will also increase on North Campbell Station and Lovell Road. It is interesting that the Town continues to expand commercial development in Farragut, but then they want to limit access to the delivery vehicles that support these businesses. North Ward residents ought to insist that this plan be reconsidered.
• We have questions about the Elkmont Station restaurant: what is the hold-up on that? Is it the Town of Farragut’s rules and regulations, or the tenant can’t get the Elkmont Station finished and open? They’ve been talking about that for months.
Also, what is the hold-up on the Mixed Used Town Center on the Biddle property that everyone was so hyped up about? That’s been slow. The only thing open is an Aldi. What happened to the apartments and all the other development that’s was going to happen? It’s been over a year and nothing’s happened. Very disappointing.
