News
October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
North Ward resident Lawrence Segrest, joined by his family, stood in front of Farragut Mayor, Alex Cain, raised his right hand and took the oath of office as alderman just before the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Thursday, Oct. 22.
Following the oath, he took his seat with the rest of the Board, and he would later say, “I do want to thank you for the trust you put in me, and I will not let the people of Farragut down.
“I’m getting up to speed on some things — Boring Road, McFee Park — and I requested a report on the traffic. It’s like 800 pages long,” Segrest said. “If you want to know what I’m really, really interested in, it’s not sitting in traffic. I hope to bring some light to that.”
In a subsequent email, Alderman Joey Ruffalo stated, “I’ve known Lawrence for several years, and he has been unwavering in his values and his commitment to Farragut.
“He stands firm in his convictions while remaining willing to listen and have thoughtful conversations,” Ruffalo said. “I have no doubt that his approach and preparation will bring a valuable balance to the board. I look forward to working with him to protect taxpayers and preserve Farragut’s character.”
“During the interview process, I found Lawrence’s resume to be exemplary, having a sound education as a mechanical engineer and excellent work experience,” Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley stated in an email Tuesday, Oct. 27. “The fact that he runs a successful business along with his sister (empowers women!) that has adapted to changing business environments through creative retooling of his business model is impressive.
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October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
About 60 Farragut residents and Town officials attended a public meeting at McFee Park on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to see the unveiling of a concept plan for the new park property at the corner of McFee and Boyd Station roads.
“It was a very good turnout,” Farragut Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley said. “We answered lots of questions.”
Tunnel, Spangler, Walsh & Associates (TSW) Design unveiled its first concept plan for the park and explained the process used to develop it.
“I’m happy to see the direction and community input,” Alderman Joey Ruffalo said. “There were a lot of questions, a lot of back and forth.”
Ruffalo noted Farragut Municipal Planning Commissioner Angel Ray asked how residents' previous input was being incorporated into the plans.
“That’s being put into the plans in subsequent meetings,” Ruffalo said. “They seem to be doing a good job, at least having the meetings, and citizens are showing up.
“I’m glad to see the citizens. Ask as many questions as you can. It’s going to give better answers.”
Wiberley expressed concerns about traffic, access to neighboring property and the preservation of trees that provide a buffer from railroad noise.
“I addressed the crowd based on a previous conversation I had with TSW,” Wiberley said. “I said they’re missing the point on their design, that their first priority was addressing traffic: how the park was going to interface with McFee [Road], if they define the easement for the road to the property behind it and how that property behind it was going to impact the traffic on McFee Road and the local neighborhoods.”
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October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
While the town awaits state approval of its plan to improve Union Road, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen members and residents have differing opinions on how the project should proceed.
During an update at the board’s meeting Thursday, Oct. 22, Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley said he has heard concerns from residents about the project.
“Some people have expressed this project is ready to go; but in the interim, since January, I’ve had some calls about issues on Union Road,” Wiberley said.
“I’m in the process of resolving those, understanding those, trying to get some resolution to those,” he said.
“One of the concerns from one of the residents was how water runoff would affect their property, and this is the drainage plan that was presented in the engineering package,” Wiberley said.
“I’m not so sure, just looking at it, that it satisfies their inquiry,” he said. “Usually, when you would do a drainage map, you would have a topographical map that shows actual elevations and you could track runoff.
“This one just seems to be random arrows,” he added. “I’m sure they’re not random, but they would appear to the first-time observer that that’s what it is.”
Wiberley also showed a culvert running under the road where there appeared to be flooding and other drainage problems affecting at least four homeowners.
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October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
A proposed road through Farragut’s new park property on McFee Road near Boyd Station Road has sparked controversy over whether the project complies with federal grant requirements.
Resident Kimberlie Parks raised concerns about the road, which would provide access to property retained by the family that sold the land to the town, during the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Thursday, Oct. 22.
“The $2.75 million [federal grant] reimbursed us for buying land,” Parks said. “The contract checks one box — land acquisition — and the budget has exactly one line, purchase of 55 acres. I looked for a road, a roundabout, a deadline to build by 2027. They aren’t in there.”
Parks said federal law requires the 55 acres to remain available for public outdoor recreation permanently.
She said two documents were recorded with the property deeds. One provides the Scott family with a 50-foot easement across the property while the other limits what the town can do with the 15 acres donated by the family.
“The Park Service manual says granting property rights for private use on grant land is a ‘conversion.’ Conversions need federal approval,” she said.
Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley also questioned the proposed road, noting the property
had previously been described as difficult to develop because of a sinkhole, creek, wooded areas and lack of road access.
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October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Farragut Community Development director Mark Shipley has been the face of the Town development for 30 years.
Since October 1996, he has overseen the development, growth and structural integrity of Farragut.
Through the years, he has watched Farragut grow and its ordinances change.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years,” he reflected. “Time goes by fast. We’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, and it’s been a good place to work.
Shipley said the Town, particularly the Town Center, “has changed dramatically, especially in the last 10 years.”
In the last decade, “We had a lot of vacant, abandoned buildings,” he recalled. “I mean, if you came here 10 years ago, it looked kind of like a dead zone in the Town Center because you had the old Silver Spoon, the old Kroger, the old Burger King building and the old gas station.
Since then, however, the Town government and developers have repurposed that part of the community.
“There are many people who played a role, but I think having a role in that is probably one of the things I’m most proud.”
Now, though, Shipley is looking to retire in the latter part of February 2027.
“I’m just kind of looking for a chance and do something different,” Shipley said.
Although he is setting his sights on his retirement, he takes with him his status as an award winner.
Tuesday, Oct. 13, Shipley was named the 2026 Planner of the Year by Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association. The announcement was made during the TAPA Fall Conference in Chattanooga.
TAPA is a professional organization of more than 500 members representing city, county and state planners and related professions across Tennessee.
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October 28, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
The Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen filled several committee vacancies Thursday, Oct. 22, but decided to postpone appointments to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan steering committee.
During a workshop before the board's regular meeting, Town administrator David Smoak said several committees needed additional members, including representatives from the board.
“There are several [committees] we need representation on,” Smoak said. “We sent out applications online on which people could apply, and we received several for the board’s consideration this evening.
“Also, given the fact that we have three new board members, we have several committees that also need board representation on those committees as well,” he said.
However, Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley said he had not had an opportunity to interview the applicants.
“Is this an appropriate time to [decide on the vacancies]?” Wiberley asked. “Or, is this the standard procedure?”
“This is our standard procedure,” Smoak answered. “All the resumes and applications are attached to the report here. It’s really your call.
“The main ones we’re trying to report on are the [CLUP] steering committee and the [Visual Resources Review Board], on which we’re short for a quorum,” he added.
Wiberley said he wanted to wait until the board held a workshop on the land-use planning process before appointing steering committee members.
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October 28, 2026 by
Vandalism – A Farragut man reported that an Amazon delivery driver damaged approximately $200 worth of newly installed sod on Candlenut Lane on Oct. 11. The incident was captured on a Ring security camera. The man filed a claim with Amazon.
Theft – The manager of Amish Elegance on North Campbell Station Road reported Oct. 12 that surveillance footage captured a suspect allegedly taking business paperwork without permission Oct. 6. The business had not determined which documents were missing.
Identity theft – A Knoxville man reported Oct. 10 that a suspect attempted to withdraw money from his bank account at a First Horizon Bank location in Nashville using his personal information. Bank employees became suspicious, and the withdrawal was unsuccessful.
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