T-Center, ‘connect’ issues talk with VSC
While Farragut’s Mixed Use Town Center Vision Steering Committee members saw potential for a Town Center — or downtown — some did not see it as “well-defined” during the committee’s first meeting in Farragut Community Center Tuesday evening, Aug. 8.
Committee members ran the gamut from residents to organization members to Town staff. Facilitating the meeting were Adam Williamson, Anna Baggett and Beverly Bell with TSW, the planning firm contracted to help the Town develop a vision for its MUTC area.
“I do not recognize Farragut has a true Town Center,” committee member and resident Don Mann said. While he sees potential there, “it’s not well-defined.
“It appears more of a hodgepodge of areas without much cohesiveness,” he added. “The new Kroger shopping center and the two corners at Campbell Station at Kingston Pike are the closest attempts yet to a Town Center.
“Now, Biddle Farms, when completed, will help the cause,” Mann said.
“We’ve got some sidewalks and parking lots that are used for major events,” said Steve Krempasky Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance executive director. He noted, however, there are no large venues for major events.
“What if you had green space instead of a parking lot?” Mann asked.
“No way,” Krempasky answered. “Green space makes a big mud … and frankly, the load-in and load-out of equipment … (becomes difficult).”
Still, “we already have a nice mix of different things” with the Town’s parks, office space, retail, schools, community center and historic area, added Sue Stuhl, former Parks and Recreation director, adding the Town has “good bones for the potential.”
“The question is how do you connect all this?” Krempasky said.
“Farragut’s done a really good job of thinking about things the Greater Knoxville area has not — sidewalks, the walkability,” said Julie Blaylock, president/CEO of Farragut West Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. “The Town Center area is definitely very diverse. We have a lot of different generations and genres of development, so it’s how you create that sense of place.”
Regarding the Town’s history, “there’s such a treasure trove that Farragut has, yet it’s completely unused,” resident George Ellis said.
While the Town has been making strides to connect the community through sidewalks and greenways, connectivity throughout Town still was identified a one issue affecting the cohesiveness of a downtown.
Several members identified two barriers to the area’s cohesiveness as Kingston Pike and Campbell Station Road, both too dangerous to promote walkability.
According to crash data collected, “there have been serious crashes between cars and pedestrians,” said Bert Kurykendall, certified planner with Orion Planning, which partnered with TSW.
“You can see it at signalized intersections and also at not signalized intersections,” he added.
“People are traveling along here, and a lot of people are getting hit. So a lot of it is about creating safe crossings and reducing excessive speeds to increase safety.”
Another barrier, Kurykendall said, is access, whether it is signalized crossings, bridging or natural features.
He advised the committee would want to look at ways to cross those barriers.
