letter to the editor
T-Creek greenway extension: respect property rights
March 15, 2025, to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Farragut:
This is an open letter to each of you and to the residents of Farragut regarding the recent vote to cut the Turkey Creek Multimodal Improvement project from the Town budget.
I support this project being removed from the budget. As currently defined, it is simply too expensive, injurious to real property and property rights of multiple Farragut property owners and would include undefined legal expenses to prevail on the Town’s claim of eminent domain.
Extending the greenway along this section of Turkey Creek Road is not the right choice. I live in Brixworth subdivision and use the Turkey Creek trail regularly, including the section that ends at the western end of Brixworth.
I’ve often wondered why this trail ends where it does, and why it was not extended all the way through Brixworth as part of the original platting and construction of this subdivision. The general direction of the trail could easily be directed to the upper portion of the hill rather than down towards street level; why was that not done as part of the original Brixworth platting? Why is that not an option now?
Information as to how and why it ends where it does may help me and many others understand the alternatives available to us now, over 20 years after construction.
Further, I must take note of a trail stub that was constructed in Sheffield off of Lakehurst Lane near the HOA clubhouse. The placement and general direction of this trail stub appears that it could have been intended to connect with the Turkey Creek trail via a route behind the homes along Turkey Creek. What was the Town of Farragut Strategic Plan for this trail when Sheffield was constructed?
As above for the Brixworth section of the trail, information regarding how and why this trail stub was constructed, and future plans for connectivity, would help in understanding options available to us today.
In January 2023, years after completion of Brixworth and Sheffield and the trail stubs mentioned above, the Town of Farragut approved a contract to study options for extending this trail. Why was this necessary? Did the Town not have available information on options, or a strategic direction, from the extensive work required and completed on those two developments?
Regarding connectivity, it is a fine concept, and the walking trails around Farragut are clearly a fine feature of the Town. But resources are finite and must be used carefully. Property rights must also be respected. Plans change; we all understand that.
Perhaps the strategy from 10 or 20 years ago is not feasible today, or other priorities should now prevail. I would submit there is another option that has not received proper consideration, and that is to leave the trail as it is today.
There are many stubs throughout the trail system, most of which will never be further extended because another development was constructed where a trail extension might have gone. Has the town actively considered this?
I will also point out that connectivity is already available from the Turkey Creek trail through Sheffield to Virtue Road and the Little Turkey Creek trail, by means of the trail behind Sailview subdivision to Banbury and Black Powder Road.
While there is no trail or sidewalk on these two roads (an opportunity for the Town), these are quiet secondary streets friendly to walkers and bicyclists. This project should be permanently removed from the town budget and list of projects.
~ Brian Gill, Farragut
