Parking garage typical of plan?
Vision Plan to be an ordinance?
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission voted unanimously to postpone action on its Mixed Use Town Center Vision Plan during its Thursday, June 20, meeting after hearing from residents who were concerned it would be voted in as an ordinance.
Specifically noted was mention of a potential parking garage.
“I don’t think we’re in a great big hurry to do this,” said Mayor Ron Williams, an FMPC member, said about the overall plan. “We’re not punching a clock on this, so we need to work on it some more.
“I think we should probably look at some different wording that would suit all the Planning Commissioners … as far as how we develop it,” he added.
“Understanding that this is a Vision Plan, ask yourself, why is ‘this’ plan, unlike those (other plans), being put in the Town’s ordinances?” resident Michael Wilson asked, after referring to such plans as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan among others.
Parking garage
“Over the last few days, there has been a lot said about this plan and some of its contents, namely the potential parking garage found on pages 69 and 91,” Wilson said
While he said he favored a parking garage, he noted, “It is easy to see that this type of confusion will result from making this plan an ordinance.”
According to the Town Center Vision Plan document, the garage Wilson referred is described as a “mobility project,” which would feature building a municipal parking deck adjacent to Biddle Farms development (330 spaces).
It also shows the Town as the responsible party with potential funding sources coming from “Capital Funds, Tax Increment Financing (and) private funds.”
Plans to be an ordinance?
“As we know, plans are guiding documents and ordinances provide requirements to be followed,” Wilson said. “Will residents, developers and others view this ordinance and be confused? This plan should be treated the same as the other similar Town plans I mentioned.”
Resident Mike Mitchell asked that it be approved as a plan, as did Randal Roberts, a candidate for the South Ward 2 alderman seat.
Alderman David White echoed objections to the plan being approved as an ordinance.
“Ordinances should not be made of future plans,” he said.
“Over the last week, there’s been considerable confusion about the nature of this document on social media,” said Alex Cain, a candidate for the North Ward alderman seat. “Is it a vision plan or is it going to become an ordinance?
“The term ordinance implies something we must follow … we should always avoid creating this type of confusion,” Cain added.
However, Planning Commissioner Jeff Devlin, also a candidate for the North Ward alderman seat, said he supported adopting the vision plan as an ordinance.
“I believe people in this community can actually think through what a vision plan actually is and understand that the ordinance part of it is not some plot to mess with everybody later,” the commissioner said.
“But the ordinance is saying that we’re committed to this and this is something we are going to do for this community in the future,” Devlin added.
While Vice Chairman Ed St. Clair said, “We definitely need a vision plan,” he added. “With years that I’ve been on the Planning Commission, seen lots of plans and lots of lots of ordinances, I’m a little bit puzzled myself.
“… I’d like to know rationale behind (the plan being adopted as an ordinance.”
Attempts to clarify
“I’d say the reason it’s proposed as an ordinance, in this case, is similar to why it was with the Architectural Design Guidelines,” Community Development director Mark Shipley explained.
“It gives the concepts in the plan more credibility if somebody’s wanting to come in and do something … but ultimately it’s up to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.”
However, Shipley emphasized: “This is a vision plan. This is not requirements. Everything in this plan does not have to happen, and it certainly doesn’t have to happen the way it’s shown.”
Chairman Scott Russ echoed Shipley’s emphasis on the plan: “This is just a vision plan. This isn’t a zoning; this isn’t something in concrete that’s going to happen tomorrow, next year, five years from now.”
“I agree that we need to do something that makes it a meaningful document,” Planning Commissioner Jon Greene said. “… but I also recognize the comments that are being made here that we don’t want to make people believe that somehow this is (ordinance).
“I agree this needs to be made clear,” he added. “Perhaps a resolution is a better alternative.”
