McFee Road Land Purchase - Preserving it from Residential Development

 The 55-acre parcel is developable. 

There is a developer ready to purchase and develop this property to add an additional phase to Meadows on McFee.


Potential Property Development

 The property owners are prepared to sell the 55-acre parcel currently being offered to the Town for purchase. The developer of the Meadows on McFee subdivision is interested in purchasing this property to expand the subdivision.  The Meadows on McFee developer has already stubbed a road (Wild Basil Street) to the border of this property in anticipation of further development. With an open space residential overlay zoning, this 55-acre parcel could yield up to 119 homes and generate over 1100 average daily trips.



There have been statements made that this property is not developable for several reasons including the tree cover, a sinkhole, a ravine that runs through the property, and proximity to the railroad. These issues are of little concern for the Meadows on McFee developer, as the developer is very familiar with the Town’s development regulations and ordinances and housing in Farragut is in high demand.

 Tree Cover 

The Town of Farragut has a Tree Protection Ordinance. It does not prevent a heavily treed property from being developed. Evidence of this can be seen at Old Stage Road/ Kingston Pike, where the property is being graded for future development. A tree removal/replacement plan must be filed before a grading plan can be approved.  Heavy tree cover does not prevent a property from being developed.


TOF Tree Protection Ordinance

 Sinkholes 

Regarding sinkholes, there is a depression on the property, it’s not clear whether the depression is a sinkhole or an old farm pond.  Regardless, sinkholes are fairly prevalent in the area.  The Town’s Open Space Residential Overlay (OSR) and Open Space Mixed Residential Overlay (OSMR) zoning districts and the Town’s sinkhole ordinance allow for the development of property while protecting environmentally sensitive areas such as sinkholes. A prime example of a subdivision that was developed under the OSR zoning district to protect existing sinkholes is Bridgemore, which has approximately 11 sinkholes scattered throughout the development.

 

TOF Open Space Residential Overlay Zoning District

TOF Open Space Mixed Residential Overlay Zoning District

TOF Sinkhole Ordinance

 

The OSR and OSMR zoning districts restrict the overall density to 2.178 units/acre, requires 35% of the total land area to be dedicated to open space and provides for flexibility in lot size to protect the environmentally sensitive areas such as sinkholes.  Several subdivisions along McFee Road are zoned OSR or OSMR including Bridgemore, Brass Lantern, Cottages at Pryse Farm, The Grove at Boyd Station and Meadows on McFee.

 

Ravine

A ravine runs through the 55-acre parcel in a generally north to south direction.  This ravine is easily dealt with by placing an appropriately sized stormwater pipe in the ravine, moving in fill dirt above the stormwater pipe and constructing a road over it.  Roads have stormwater pipes running under them are all over Farragut. Developers deal with this issue all the time in the development of property. It’s part of the Town’s stormwater management system and stormwater infrastructure.

 

Proximity to Railroad tracks 

Proximity to the railroad tracks has not deterred developers from developing residential subdivisions.  Walnut Grove and Heron’s Point which are subdivisions just south of the railroad tracks are examples.

 


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