Virtue View Farms plans reviewed by Town staff
Developer Steve Williams received input on his plans to develop Virtue View Farm subdivision during a Farragut Staff/Developer meeting Tuesday, May 31.
Williams wants to develop 13 estate-size lots on 44.09 acres along Virtue and Evans roads for an R-1 subdivision.
One feature Williams asked about was having a gated entrance, but Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said “that would be a very radical departure from what we’ve done in the past.”
However, “We’ve granted variances where we felt like they were appropriate,” he added.
Shipley also addressed the street widths, noting the fire marshal may not be comfortable reducing the width of the street to 20 feet.
“It may not be able to meet the fire codes,” he said. “Making the assumption it would be a private street, what would you want to request to vary from, based on what you’re proposing?” Shipley asked.
“We were talking 16 (feet initially),” Williams answered. “I told you, 100 percent, we would put a fire hydrant in, so what do you need …you need enough room at the hydrant where the (fire) truck could pull in and someone could get around it?”
“The fire code requires a 26-foot-wide road if there’s a fire hydrant on it and 400 feet to each property unless there’s an oddball flag lot,” Fire Marshal Dan Johnson answered. “I noted in my review several items that need to be looked at: the street width, the hydrants, the turning radius … instead of a cul-de-sac, going with a ‘Y’-type thing.”
“I took the cul-de-sac and expanded it to the grass area in the middle to give you better turning room,” Williams said. “You had discussed getting a fire hydrant on a private road, and I don’t know … in the past the utility district has not allowed that, but that’s their decision, not mine,” Johnson said. “If for some reason (Farragut Board of Mayor and Alderman) and (Farragut Municipal Planning Commission) decided to provide those variances and it ends up being a private hydrant, there needs to be something written into your HOA stuff regarding maintenance of that hydrant and the responsibilities if maintaining it.”
Shipley said Williams would be revising his plans upon coming back for more discussion before going to the Planning Commission.
In other business, Town staff discussed a final plat for Phase 2 of Meadows on McFee subdivision, which includes 48 lots on 26.44 acres along McFee Road. This development also is zoned R-1.
The staff also discussed a preliminary plat for Westerly subdivision, zoned R-1 and R-2, which proposes 12 lots on 8.74 acres just behind Dollar General Store off Kingston Pike. This land also includes additional commercial property next to Dollar General Store, which David B. Harbin, partner with the engineering firm Batson, Himes, Norvell & Poe, is looking to develop at a later date.
