Letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
The Town of Farragut held its 70-Acre Park Master Plan Neighborhood Input Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Great Lawn Pavilion at McFee Park.
Residents were shown a modified draft concept plan based on an online survey of 723 responses, about 80% of them from confirmed Farragut residents. Missing, however, were the results of the previous meeting, where attendees submitted feedback on the proposed park.
Residents gave their feedback once again at this meeting. This time I photographed and transcribed the input, and I’ve summarized it here. Several major themes emerged:
Keep it natural. A significant number of comments asked for “trails only” and said keeping the trees was critical. One suggestion was to model the park on Knoxville’s Third Creek Greenway, with “one restroom, trailhead parking, natural old growth and native fauna,” as a sensible base concept.
Cost. Many residents worried about the cost of the park and whether it could lead to a property tax. There was a clear warning that building and maintaining the park should have no impact on residential taxes, so the design should make low maintenance a priority.
Skip the extras. Comment after comment rejected add-ons such as a disc golf course and an event center.
Protect the neighbors. Residents of Red Poppy Drive raised concerns about the parking lot, playground and restrooms, and asked that those features be moved away from their backyards with a wider tree buffer. Several residents worry that trail access at Wild Basil would bring parked cars onto their streets.
Take traffic seriously. Many comments raised concerns about cut-through traffic from Lenoir City, congestion on McFee Road, and the safety of the proposed roundabout for drivers and pedestrians.
For transparency, so the whole town can weigh these legitimate concerns about safety, cost and daily life, I have submitted a full transcription of every note from the meeting to the Farragut Press.
I encourage the Farragut Press to publish it, and I encourage residents to share any additional views with the Town before the master plan is finalized.
~ Angel Ray
Farragut, TN
