lettertotheeditor
Town unclear on no apartments stance
Since August 2021 the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission, Mayor Ron Williams, former Vice Mayor Louise Povlin and South Ward Alderman Drew Burnette have all said “no more apartments.”
Yet this Thursday, Sept. 26, there will be a workshop at 5 p.m. before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting to consider whether to approve the Mixed-Use Town Center Vision Plan. In that plan, apartments will be allowed with vertical mixed-use where retail is on the first floor and apartments are on the second and third floors.
Farragut resident Michael Wilson warned of this in his address to the Farragut Planning Commission July 18.
The farragutpress reported on this story (in its) July 24 (issue): “The Vision Plan Steering Committee included language that allows for up to three stories of vertical mixed-use in the Commercial areas found on pages 59, 63 and 69,” Wilson said. “This applies to the future commercial developments found on the Ford property and along Concord Road in the Biddle Farms development.
“One would assume that this would apply to any redevelopments of existing commercial properties, such as the West End and Village Green shopping centers,” he added. “That’s a lot of acreage to consider, probably upward of 90.
“I question why the Vision plan would include vertical mixed-use in these areas. Roughly four years ago, the Town decided that vertical mixed use was not viable due to the need for a parking structure or large parking areas. In addition, the Town has promised there would be no more apartments. (This) opens up multiple areas of the Town Center to potential apartments.”
Farragut residents should attend the workshop this Thursday and speak with the Mayor and Aldermen, reminding them of their pledge from 2021. Regardless of whether consultants hired by the Town recommend this vertical mixed-use, it is clear a commitment had been made to the people of Farragut that there will be no more new apartments.
Mike Mitchell
Farragut
