Anchor Park Remains a Dark Park

 

The Town of Farragut was founded in 1980 so we could handle our own planning and zoning.

The Town adopted its first comprehensive zoning ordinance 82-11 on March 16, 1982.

In Ordinance 82-11, Chapter 4., Section XIII. Lighting provided the following restriction:

“No exterior lighting shall be oriented in such a manner as to cause direct lighting to be cast onto property zoned residential.” Page 99 


(This language remained unchanged in the Town's zoning ordinance until 1999.)

In 1983, the Town purchased 9 acres on Turkey Creek Road for a future park (Anchor Park).

In 1984, the Town dedicated Anchor Park which included a softball field, a soccer field, a walking trail and exercise stations.

At the time of the park’s construction, Lake Haven Park subdivision was the only existing subdivision in the Anchor Park area. Some of the houses in that neighborhood directly abut the softball and recreation field.  Clearly, the residents of Lake Haven Park were concerned about their quality of life.

Anchor Park circa 1985 (KGIS)

On April 25, 1985, Resolution R-85-7 to establish Anchor Park as a dark park with no full scale lighting systems was adopted unanimously by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen – the elected officials at the time were Mayor Leonard, Alderman Eddy Ford, Alderman Betty Dick, Alderman John Griess and Alderman Jeff Dobson.


This resolution was a promise made to the residents of the Lake Haven Park neighborhood and subsequently to the residents on the north side of Turkey Creek Road.  This promise has been kept for 37 years and through 4 mayoral administrations.

Interestingly, what brought the residents of the Farragut Neighborhood Preservation Partnership to the Town to clarify the Outdoor Site Lighting ordinance was their own concerns about quality of life.

Whether this resolution is codified or not, I will never support the installation of field lights at Anchor Park, it would be incompatible with the existing residential neighborhoods.

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