Sewanee Village Plan: Ambitious Goals, Long Range Vision

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“This is just a plan. Bulldozers are not perched to come in,” said Frank Gladu, University Vice President of Administrative Services, welcoming more than 80 people who came to hear an update on the Sewanee Village Implementation Plan, Aug. 25, at the American Legion Hall.
The Sewanee Village concept grew out of the 2011 University master plan, which included a vision for downtown Sewanee. “Only a few of the proposals in the Implementation Plan will likely be accomplished in our lifetime,” said Gladu.
“The Sewanee Village Plan is based on four core principles that make a great village,” said Brian Wright with Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), retained by the University to implement the Sewanee Village vision. “The village should be walkable, include a mixture of business and residential properties, be compact, and reflect diversity by being attractive to people of all ages and lifestyles and offering diverse housing types.”
With these goals in mind, the University received approval for rezoning 67 acres in the downtown vicinity from agricultural and general residential use to mixed-use, allowing for commercial development. The Franklin County Planning Commission also agreed to zoning amendments reducing the setback distance to as little as zero feet; allowing for smaller lots; and allowing for a wider variety of uses including businesses such as a market, inn, grocery and microbrewery.
The plan addresses the need for housing with small cottages sharing communal space, affordable single-family dwellings, and apartments, including apartments on the second story above commercial buildings and 300 square foot micro-housing units.
For the past year, TPUDC has taken on design and architectural review services for buildings on leaseholds within the village boundary. Wright and his team are in the process of creating an Architectural Pattern Book to guide those considering building homes and businesses in the village area.
The pattern book identifies four residential styles. “We want to capture the character of the place and still allow for creativity,” Wright said. “We want people to have a sense of comfort about what to expect.”
Central to the plan’s vision is the transformation of Hwy. 41A to accommodate accessibility to proposed amenities on the non-campus side of the highway. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is considering the University’s request to narrow Hwy. 41A to two lanes (without the previously proposed roundabout). The plan calls for sidewalks with tree lawns on Hwy. 41A, as well as street-side parking.
TDOT rejected the request for a crosswalk on Hwy. 41A, Wright said, because there wasn’t sufficient pedestrian traffic. Instead, TDOT proposed a HAWK-style signal activated by a pedestrian pressing a button at the crossing, which sets off flashing yellow lights, then flashing red lights, and finally a solid red stop light.
Questioned about semi trucks navigating the transformed highway, Wright pointed out Cowan and Winchester both offered street-side parking on portions of Hwy. 41A.
Wright said plans did not call for bike lanes on Hwy. 41A, but talks were underway with the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance to incorporate the Mountain Goat Trail into the downtown area.
In the core of the village, the plan proposes parking behind the businesses and other buildings lining the street. Asked about parking for a Senior Citizens’ Center, Wright said parking ease would be incorporated into the design plan, without steps or ramps needed to access the facility.
One visitor argued parking behind the building wouldn’t adequately address parking needs and suggested subsidiary parking facilities. Wright said satellite parking and some sort of tram system were both being considered. “I hope we have a parking problem so these ideas get prioritized.”
Another visitor stressed the need for supporting existing small businesses and spoke out against businesses being required to modify the structure of their buildings. Gladu insisted this, required modification, was not the case.
Renovations and additions to existing businesses and homes will be required to follow the Pattern Book guidelines, according to Wright, but everyday maintenance and repair will be exempt from the Pattern Book criteria.
“We’ve totally failed if existing businesses go out of business,” Wright said.
Addressing concerns about where the money would come from to implement the changes proposed in the plan, Wright said, “We’re not proposing something be built. We’re just setting the framework for it, setting the stage. This is a 100-year plan.
Gladu said addressing housing needs and modifying the Hwy. 41A intersection were top priority. Wright also cited the need for a full-service grocery-type market in the village.
The University has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) with the intent of qualifying development teams to pursue projects identified in the plan. Priority will be given to RFQs received before Oct. 1. Guidelines and more information about the Sewanee Village Implementation Plan are available at sewanee.edu/village..