lettertotheeditor
Site balance a must for Town parks
When considering the acquisition of a park for the entire Town of Farragut, it’s crucial that the decision-making process isn’t confined to a single specific part of Town.
It shouldn’t solely rely on the input of McFee Road residents to determine how Town funds are allocated to meet the NRPA guideline that has been established. It’s worth noting that this particular parcel of land is not conveniently located for the majority of Farragut’s population.
If we review past decision-making processes, especially those related to Biddle Farm (which serves as a point of reference for my increased involvement in Town affairs), it becomes evident that not all the neighborhoods along Concord Road were adequately considered.
Concord Hills, in particular, appeared to be overlooked despite our neighborhood being significantly impacted by increased traffic due to having only one exit. It’s important to recognize that this decision-making process did not involve Town funds, distinguishing it from the situation with McFee.
These two situations should not be treated identically, but it seems that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) is primarily focused on only McFee Road residents’ opinions when making this decision. This approach may overlook the broader interests of the entire Town, prioritizing only those in close proximity to the park.
There’s no denying that the entire Town is facing a shortage of park space. This deficiency extends well beyond the limitations seen on McFee Road. When discussing the NRPA Guideline, it’s imperative to view Farragut not just as singular but as a collection of various corridors that together form the Town of Farragut.
Parks are a fundamental community amenity that should be equitably distributed throughout the Town as a whole. If we adhere to the guideline of 10 acres per 1,000 residents, it becomes evident that many areas within Farragut are lacking in adequate park facilities.
Here are the following census tract populations with the park acreage that serves it:
-Founders Park, (Ralph) McGill (Plaza) and Town Hall (playground) serves (Census Tract 58.09): 4,791 population and only has 25.29 acres; deficient on the NRPA guideline. It would need over 47 acres to be brought up to standard.
-Anchor Park serves (Census Tract 58.13): 6,737 population and only has 10.47
acres; it is deficient in the NRPA guideline. It should have over 67 acres that serves those residents.
-Bob Leonard Park serves (Census Tract 58.10): 3,742 population and has 46 acres. It is above and beyond NRPA guideline.
-Mcfee Park serves (Census Tract 58.11): 3,714 population and has 58 acres. It is above and beyond the NRPA guideline.
If you go by the actual guideline of ½ mile of the park is what is considered the serviceable area, then these numbers are even worse.
-Census Tract 58.08, 2,671 population – no park;
-Census Tract 58.03- no park
We ought to avoid excessively concentrating all our Town amenities in a single area. It’s important to distribute them more evenly throughout the Town for better accessibility and convenience for all residents.
Let’s spread the park acreage out to balance the Town of Farragut out.
Kimberlie Parks,
Farragut
