Amended ordinance, ballpark lights, 8-1
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission approved revised amendments to the Town’s ordinance regarding restrictions on use of ballfield lights, or outdoor site lighting, in the Town in an 8-1 vote during its Thursday, Nov. 17, meeting.
Planning Commissioner Scott Russ cast the lone dissenting vote.
“We’d like to thank the FMPC and Mark Shipley (Community Development director) for listening to our concerns and working with us on the amendments,” said Jeanne Brykalski, Farragut Neighborhood Preservation Partnership spokesperson, who added her group supported the revised amendments.
Residents making up FNPP initiated the request to change the outdoor site lighting ordinance, as it sought tougher restrictions on where ballfield lights could be installed.
Shipley said ballfield lighting would only be permitted in areas where it is “directly associated with such government functions.
“We talked about the differences between ballfield and tennis court (lights),” he added. “We also talked about lighting that is allowed in certain zoning districts, like Topgolf.
“We also talked a little bit about clarifying where ballfield lighting would be permitted. The applicant (FNPP) has requested to have it, essentially, not outside government properties, and that basically is what is in the Ordinance 22-12.”
However, Alderman David White asked, “Why do they want to amend an ordinance that is darn near perfect?
“You read the old ordinance — no lights,” he added, noting the changes have weakened that ordinance.
Sounding a warning, “You are giving permission to the (Board of Mayor and Aldermen) to violate the code,” White said. “They already violated it with the lights at McFee Park, then asked the Town attorney to find a case law.
“They’re asking you to violate the code,” he added, asking FMPC to “follow the codes.”
