By Carl Helton, Lakeland Currents staff writer
The Municipal Planning/Design Review Commission (MPC/DRC) met Thursday night (4.16.20) and approved a final site plan for Lakeland Preparatory School (LPS). But after much discussion and concerns, voted 5 against, 2 for on approval of a final site plan for the Lakeland Athletic Complex at 9661 Memphis Arlington Rd.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was conducted by electronic/telephonic means of communication.
Link to agenda: https://tn-lakeland.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/925
Link to audio: https://www.facebook.com/LakelandTN/videos/166038801303931/
LPS final site plan
Forrest Owens, acting city planner, explained the final site plan application is for the proposed Lakeland Preparatory School (LPS) and athletic fields on the existing campus at Lakeland Middle Preparatory School (LMPS). The existing facility is 112,186 square feet and currently serves grades 5-8. The proposed addition is 211,812 square feet and will serve grades 9-12.
The Outline Plan for the 94-acre campus of Lakeland Preparatory Middle School was approved by the MPC on December 17, 2015. The proposed site plan application adheres to the layout and intent of the prior approvals.
Link to the staff report: https://www.lakelandtn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9002
Among questions asked by MPC/DRC members were traffic patterns, an extended turn lane on Canada Road, speed limit on U.S. Highway 70, an additional access road to the school campus, signature pages on the plans, connectivity between the school and five soccer fields and lighting in parking areas.
City Engineer Emily Harrell said a traffic study will be updated each school year as each class is phased in. (The high school is to open in August 2022 to 9th grade, adding a grade per year). She said there is a plan for a second entrance off Highway 70.
One resident addressed Board members, Justin Otto, who had concerns about traffic volume near his home on Old Brownsville Road which he said is near the northeast entrance to the school soccer fields. He also asked about parking for soccer games and a traffic signal.
A motion was made and seconded to approve the application for the final site plan for LPS along with commission discussions and staff reports. It was unanimously approved with a 7-0 vote.
Athletic Complex final site plan
The applicant was seeking approval of a Final Site Plan application for the Athletic Park and fields located at 9661 Memphis Arlington Road, between Canada Road and Seed Tick Road, according to Mr. Owens. The land was purchased by the City in 2004.
The City of Lakeland applied for and was awarded a Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF) Grant in 2018 through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for Phase 1 of the Lakeland Athletic Complex and Recreation Park. The Master Plan and Phase 1 concept plan were approved by the MPC/DRC on March 21, 2019. The latest Site Plan has been reviewed by the Parks Board with recommendation to the MPC/DRC for approval.
Link to story when $500,000 grant was awarded to Lakeland: https://lakelandcurrents.com/500k-grant-awarded-to-lakeland-for-new-park/
Link to the staff report: https://tn-lakeland.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/9000
The Master Plan and Phase 1 Concept Plan were approved by the MPC/DRC March 21, 2019, according to Mr. Owens. The latest Site Plan was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Board with a recommendation to the MPC/DRC for approval. After the presentation by Mr. Owens Thursday night, it was turned over to the board for discussion.
MPC/DRC Vice-Chair Scott Carmichael said he wanted to make sure what was being built did not fall in a dam breach area. Mrs. Harrell said, “I have looked at it and athletic fields are an appropriate use in a dam breach area. It’s highly unlikely, but if we did have an earthquake, you’re going to have a lot more damage than just the dam possibly eroding that field.
“There’s going to be damage city-wide with utilities and things like that. We definitely would not let a development come in with homes and things like that where you would have residences and a lot of structures that can be damaged.”
Vice-Chair Carmichael asked for the amount of the grant and was told it is for $500,000 in a total budget of $1.4 million.
Member Nikki Bufalino said she was on the Parks and Recreation Board when the plan came through and there were concerns on the project. “I think it feels a little rushed.”
Commissioner Wesley Wright who is a liaison to the MPC/DRC said this is the third or fourth iteration and is a much more scaled down version of the Memphis Arlington plans. “I wouldn’t consider it rushed. I would consider it measured and something that’s been put together over many years.”
Mrs. Bufalino added she felt a million dollar investment was rushed. Chair Susan Mitchell said she didn’t know that funding was part of the MPC/DRC consideration.
During public comment, Don Barber, a former MPC/DRC chair, former Lakeland commissioner and 40-year Lakeland resident, spoke of his concerns of the placement of the eastern entrance to the Complex. He said it is in front of his driveway on Memphis Arlington Road. In an earlier plan, he said, the entrance was several hundred feet to the west. There are to be two entrances/exits to the Complex, as proposed in the plan.
Member Todd Laessig asked what could be done to mitigate Mr. Barber’s concerns. Mr. Barber replied he didn’t have an answer but didn’t like the current plan. Mr. Laessig asked if the two driveways into the Complex could be moved east or west and not in a direct line with Mr. Barber’s driveway. Mr. Barber then suggested making the eastern egress one way as an entrance with the western egress only an exit.
Commissioner Wesley Wright said he thought that was a good compromise and Mr. Laessig said he agreed.
Mayor Mike Cunningham, a member of the MPC/DRC, made a motion to defer a decision to the next meeting. Mrs. Bufalino seconded the motion.
Shane Horn, city manager, said, “I will just remind everybody we have some grant requirements that we need to address. Pushing this further down the road could be problematic but that’s obviously a decision that you all will make.”
Mr. Horn added there are grant timelines to meet and field space needed. “This has been discussed well beyond when I came on board. So I’m not sure why folks think we’re rushing this. But that’s just my opinion.”
The Mayor then withdrew his motion.
A second resident addressed the MPC/DRC, Katherine Goodwin, who lives on Memphis Arlington Road. She asked about wetlands on the Complex property flowing across the street to her house and flooding her property. She was assured that the current plan routes any water to Scott’s Creek.
Commissioner Wright then made a motion to approve the plan with the provision that the eastern driveway would be an entrance and the western driveway would be an exit. He also included in his motion staff recommendations and comments. The motion failed for lack of a second.
Mrs. Mitchell said to Mr. Carmichael, “Mr. Carmichael, what do we do now?” He answered there would have to be another motion.
Mr. Laessig then proposed a motion very similar to that of Commissioner Wright. It was seconded by Mr. Wright and failed on a 5 no/2 yes vote. Yes votes were Mr. Laessig and Commissioner Wright. No votes were cast by Mrs. Bufalino, Mr. Carmichael, Mayor Cunningham, Clint Starnes and Mrs. Mitchell.
Mrs. Harrell asked what specific things should be considered before re-submitting the plan.
Mrs. Mitchell said there should be consideration of being good neighbors to long term residents. She said someone’s idyllic home should not turn into a traffic jam. “That’s the biggest concern.”
Following the meeting, Commissioner Wright said: “I was perplexed that we had met the concerns of Mr. Barber and there still was not a reasonable objection. During the meeting I emphasized the time crunch for completion and the plans were the most conservative for a project under consideration for multiple years. It wasn’t rushed but well thought out and planned and the impact would be minimal after this phase, by adding trails and potentially disc golf. This has the smallest footprint, environmentally-friendly and the lowest cost of previous iterations.”
