Fireworks rescheduled for Light Up the Night on Dec. 3

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My family and I were so disappointed when the last day of RidgeFest in Oak Ridge’s town park was cancelled because of bad weather. We look forward to attending this event every year, and the fireworks show on the last night is one of our favorite parts.

Any chance the fireworks display can at least be rescheduled?

Many people were disappointed that the carnival rides, live music, free kids’ activities and everything else

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– including the fireworks show – on the last day of RidgeFest had to be cancelled earlier this month. There is good news, though. The town has rescheduled the fireworks show and it will bring a special close to this year’s Light Up the Night activities on Saturday, Dec. 3. Look for more details about Light Up the Night in upcoming issues.

I’m frustrated by the poor cell phone service at the intersection of Highways 68 and 150 in the heart of Oak Ridge.

I remember hearing something a while back about plans for construction of a cell phone tower at Oak Ridge Military Academy (ORMA) – are those plans moving forward?

Earlier this year, the Oak Ridge Planning and Zoning Board approved a site plan for Charlotte-based Communications Tower Group to build a wireless communications tower for AT&T and Verizon on ORMA property near the school’s gymnasium. Located on a wooded tract about 1,300 feet from the N.C. 68/150 intersection, the tower will stand 180 feet tall and be camouflaged as a pine tree, according to the site plan.

Earlier this week, we called ORMA President Steve Wilson for an update on the tower. He said the project “has been approved and is ready to go” except for a shortage of workers to build the structure.

“The cell tower folks can’t find the personnel to build it,” Wilson said in an interview. He added that the company representative to whom he spoke last week didn’t provide a timeline for the start of construction.

A soil test determined that the sloping terrain can support the tower, Wilson said. Otherwise, no site work has been done.

Adobe Stock photo A wireless communications tower for AT&T and Verizon is planned on Oak Ridge Military property near the school’s gymnasium. However, the tower, which will stand 180 feet tall and be camoufl aged as a pine tree, is on hold because of a shortage of workers to build it.

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Even though the plan aims to plot Summerfield’s growth through 2040, it touches on landowner David Couch’s proposal to develop his 973 acres spanning Summerfield. The property from Summerfield Road to Interstate 73 is shown on the LUP’s map as a primary growth area.

The plan encourages the residential development of the area “with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations (and) limited service-oriented businesses.”

Broadly, the LUP’s recommendations for denser housing in a variety of formats mirrors Couch’s proposal for building apartments, townhouses, traditional single-family homes and expensive houses in the Villages of Summerfield Farms, a series of 11 communities connected by walking and biking trails.

In May, Couch, owner of Summerfield Farms, submitted a new request to amend the town’s unified development ordinance to accommodate his plans. A month earlier, citing widespread opposition to apartments, the council rejected his initial text amendment application.

Couch’s latest request halved to 596 the number of apartments he wants to build. He hasn’t yet asked the Planning Board to consider his application, the first step in the process before the decision whether to allow him to proceed with his plans ultimately goes before the town council.

In an interview after this week’s meeting, Couch said he was disappointed the council instructed PTRC staff to remove the reference to housing subsidies from the draft. In recent months, Couch has said he’d be prepared to subsidize apartment rents for some occupants to make living in Summerfield more affordable.

“Why would the town’s leadership modify a professionally drafted document about the future development of Summerfield without the public first having the opportunity to express their views?” Couch asked.

During the meeting, Mayor Tim Sessoms recommended, and council members concurred, that PTRC’s staff should edit the draft over the next two weeks. Afterwards, the public will have the opportunity to share their views about the plan during public hearings at Planning Board and council meetings.

To accommodate denser housing, Couch proposed extending water and sewer services to his development and said property owners within the development – not other Summerfield taxpayers – will pay for the additional public utilities.

Looking ahead, the draft LUP encourages town leaders to decide whether to bring water and sewer services to areas designated for primary growth in Summerfield.

“Mixed-density housing wicll require water and wastewater service,” the plan stated, “but a clear policy on areas served by water and wastewater should be established to ensure that existing residential areas remain in their current character, with particular attention to transportation impacts.”

e plan urged town leaders to “allow increased housing variety and options in primary growth areas when the Town of Summer eld establishes a policy on allowing water and wastewater service to key primary growth areas.”

Planning Board Chair Dick Feulner asked PTRC’s staff how Summerfield would pay for wastewater services. Jesse Day, PTRC’s planning manager, said his staff isn’t prepared to recommend funding options.

Council member Janelle Robinson questioned whether the final version of the LUP should contain references to sewer services.

“There’s a lot of mentions about wastewater,” she said. “And I’m not sure we want that.”