Plaza is considered as Inn Phase II ends

Two months shy of completing Phase II of the Campbell Station Inn restoration project, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen looked at designs to create a plaza adjacent to Village Green Shopping Center.

During a Board workshop before its regular meeting Thursday, Oct. 25, Town administrator David Smoak explained Phase II was the stabilization of the house itself, as well as removing the old dairy barn.

“Are you comfortable with this plan in order to keep this (project) rolling in the January-February time frame to bid this out?” he asked. “You will see this (plan) again before it goes, and you will get the numbers (of the final cost) before we bid it out, just to make sure we are on track.”

Board members expressed their support of the proposal.

Plaza concept presented

David W. Craig Sr., a designer with Ross/Fowler Landscape Architecture, Urban Design & Planning of Knoxville, presented the concept plan for a plaza.

“We have a contractual obligation with White Realty (which owns Village Green shopping center) to connect two roads into the Village Green area,” Smoak said, adding the roads would be located on the Town’s property line and White Realty’s property line.

The connection would give both the Town and realty company a little more space for future development, he said.

The plan showed more green space behind the house for a future building pad, some public open space, a restroom building and parking for the facility, as well as on-street parking, and a road connecting the Campbell Station Inn property with the Village Green facility.

“David (Craig) has been working on a schematic design for this property to give us an estimate on what the project’s going to cost going forward,” he said, adding the current proposed cost is $1.93 million.

“There’s been a little bit later development (on the two connecting roads),” Craig said. “(Tennessee Department of Transportation) wants a right-in, right-out there (at North Campbell Station Road) as well.”

While TDOT will not be involved with the North Campbell Station Road access, Jake Greer, design engineer with McGill Associates, said, “The conversation is the Campbell Station Road access likely will turn into more of a right in, right out, just because of the configuration.”

No action was taken on the plaza proposal.