Road detours of importance
News
Right-of-way consistency found: FMPC
Taken from Town of Farragut’s subdivision regulations, a new ordinance now gives a consistent definition to right-of-way property designation — especially in regard to where signs are allowed — throughout Town.
Concerning “Ordinance 25-09, the language is really initiated by Alderman (David) White. He wanted to help clarify when signs could be removed by property owners,” Community Development director Mark Shipley said during Farragut Municipal Planning Commission’s monthly meeting (third Thursday evening) July 17. The ordinance proposal passed FMPC unanimously.
As a rough guide previously, “We looked at the overhead utility lines and the pole and said, ‘Well, that’s probably the right-of-way,’” said Shipley, as staff recommend passage of the ordinance proposal. “But this helps establish the standard: it’s basically 12 feet from the back of a curb or the edge of the street. If there’s no curving in place, that’s considered to be the public right-of-way for purposes of sign removal. So if a sign’s in that space, then it’s subject to being removed.
Evans Road trio respond to ‘hybrid’ plans; also North Campbell
With a desire to keep a more “rural” feel yet improve a number of Town of Farragut roads with a “hybrid” plan — one side of shared use or a sidewalk plus greenery and slight road widening in most cases without curb-gutter or foot/bike paths on both sides — Farragut Municipal Planning Commission laid out staff-recommended plans for seven roads in a discussion-only session.
Road improvement proposals outlined during FMPC’s monthly meeting Thursday, July 17, were detailed by Mark Shipley, Community Development director, for North Campbell Station, Herron, Boring, Allen Kirby, Evans and Boyd Station roads plus Red Mill Lane.
North Campbell and part of Boring Road would include a full curb-gutter and either shared use or walking path on both sides of the road, which is required on North Campbell and is needed to accommodate the new elementary school traffic on part of Boring; the others would be hybrid.
“These cross-sections, if they are adopted ultimately, they replace the requirements that are currently in our subdivision regulations,” Shipley said.
“Let’s try not to destroy the rural character of these streets, but we’ll still address the other strategies to some extent,” he added. “It’s a hybrid. And so what we looked at here is most of these streets are not wider than 11 foot lanes, and they have open ditch drainage and no curb and gutter.
“And then they would have space between a shared-use path and the edge of the street for street trees or to keep a tree-aligned corridor through these sections.”
‘Hard for me to see this:’ resident
Responding to proposed Town of Farragut changes to Evans Road, one of seven discussed in detail (no action taken) during Farragut Planning Commission’s monthly meeting Thursday, July 17, three residents living along Evans Road who spoke during the meeting were among roughly a dozen fellow residents on hand.
Evans Road resident Tim Neal expressed concern about the Town’s notification process to those affected by the proposed road revamps. “I just found out about this possibility last night,” he said. “No notice that I’m aware of was ever sent out to the residents on Evans Road. So the proposal that’s being thrown out here is totally new to me. Was there any notice sent out?
We didn’t send out any notice because we’re not proposing anything specific,” said Mark Shipley Community Development director. “This is just an alternate to the subdivision regulations. We’re not proposing any immediate action.”
“I understand your connectivity of the walking trails. … Part of me wants to say that’s all well and good, and part of me wants to (question) widening Evans Road. Maybe the narrowness of Evans Road prevents the speeding, and making it wider might make it easier to speed. … My concern is I want to be involved in the future as this proceeds. It certainly impacts my property. If you go to our side of the road, you’re going to be affecting the interest of my property, my fencing, my columns, the trees. You’re making a serious impact on me personally. I think that’s what you’ll hear from everybody else.
“I’ll reserve any future comments just to the standpoint that I want more openness; for all of you (residents) to be notified if there’s more discussion of where this is going to go.
“I would definitely watch for future agendas because at some point that we’ll be voting on this — it may be August, September — probably in the next couple of months,” Shipley said.
Open letter by Alderman Cain about ‘rebranding’ T-Creek Greenway Project
Despite a request by Town of Farragut Alderman Alex Cain to have the following letter read into the record during the Thursday, July 17, Farragut Municipal Planning Commission meeting, this did not happen.
I am writing to express my concerns regarding Resolution PC-25-05, “Update of Major Road Plan,” on the agenda for the July 17, 2025 meeting, which I regretfully cannot attend in person.
As discussed in my recent phone conversation with Mr. Mark Shipley, the stated intent of this resolution is to establish design parameters for a designated list of collector and arterial streets within the Town of Farragut. According to Mr. Shipley, this guidance is necessary due to conflicts between our current subdivision street regulations and the rural character of these specific roads. I appreciate the clarification that this resolution is intended to serve solely as a future planning guide.
However, after reviewing the agenda materials thoroughly, I remain concerned that some members of the Commission may perceive this resolution as a mechanism to circumvent current state law prohibiting the use of eminent domain for greenway development. This concern echoes the 2024 rebranding of the “Turkey Creek Greenway Project” to the “Turkey Creek Multi-Modal Road Improvement Project”— a shift that coincided with ongoing litigation initiated by affected residents and after state law had changed.
A project’s name change does not alter its true intent. When we repurpose terms like “greenways” into “multi-modal improvements” or “complete streets,” and then embed them into schematic cross-section diagrams, we risk misleading residents and obscuring the legal boundaries we are sworn to uphold. I witnessed how budget documents labeled the Turkey Creek project as a greenway with a $500,000 right-of-way acquisition line item — until litigation led to a sudden rebranding.
I urge the Planning Commission to operate with full transparency and prioritize the protection of private property rights. Any attempt to quietly embed sweeping changes through vaguely worded resolutions erodes public trust and forces undue hardship on affected property owners.
KCSO reports
• At 4:41 a.m., Saturday, July 19, a Knox County Sheriff’s Office unit responded to a domestic disturbance along Snyder Road at Super 8 Motel. Officers made contact with victim and eventual arrestee inside suspect’s vehicle, a blue Kia Optima. “Officers separated both parties, and initially, both parties (said) there was only an argument and that nothing became physical,” the report stated.
“However, upon obtaining additional information, both parties were confronted with that information (indicating) they had been involved in a physical altercation,” the report further stated.
“(Eventual arrestee) was observed to have a red mark on her left cheek and scratch marks on her left neck/upper chest area. (Victim) was observed with a swollen left eye and an abrasion just above his left eye,” plus “a welted scratch mark on the left side of his neck.”
Victim said “he had accidentally called (eventual arrestee’s) ex-best friend, and she found out, becoming upset,” the report stated. “They engaged in an argument when she pushed him. (Victim) admitted that he pushed (eventual arrestee) back in an attempt to get her to vacate his hotel room,” adding she “began to swing at him, and she made contact with his left eye, causing the injuries.
“(Victim) said he put his arms out and tried to hold her back, with his hands being placed near her upper chest area. (Eventual arrestee said) she could not remember exactly how the physical altercation started, but that she remembered (victim) approaching her closely, to which she pushed him to get away from her.”
