Tennessee Department of Transportation’s recent clearing away of trees along U.S. Highway 444 has left the Tellico Village Property Owners Association and some residents displeased, and now Villagers hope to get an explanation.
Villagers Ross Metcalf and Tom Varillas spoke on behalf of residents at the POA meeting earlier this month, asking board members to speak with TDOT about the agency’s long-term plans for Highway 444.
“I would like to know or become privy to what those plans are, and I think there’s a right for the people that live here to understand what’s going to happen in the years to come,” Varillas said.
“It’s a question as to why and to the extent they’re doing it so many feet off the road,” Metcalf said. “The visual aspect of it is very disturbing, and through conversations we’ve had with a couple of universities’ horticulture, this is leaving it open to insects and also the ground giving away in those areas, so it was something that needed to be done.”
One section along the highway was mowed about 150 feet long.
B.J. Doughty, TDOT director of community relations and communications, said that specific area was cut back to that extent due to it being “particularly overgrown, and therefore was trimmed more drastically than some of the others.” Distances vary based on the right-of-way TDOT owns along the highway and are cut at least every other year, she said.
Mark Nagi, TDOT community relations officer, said trees in certain areas were being removed to give better sight line for drivers, to remove shading that hinders melting ice and to prevent any issues to mowing cycles. Work was stopped in March due to comments received from Villagers, and TDOT has since spent “several days” removing debris, mulching and hand-trimming tree limbs, he said.
Varillas said TDOT explained to him that they were clearing trees to allow drivers easier line-of-sight to oncoming deer and to prevent falling trees from landing in the road. However, Varillas and Metcalf do not buy that explanation.
“Unless you have a flat ground like Florida or (are) out in the Midwest you’re not going to see deer coming out on the road, and I would say probably 80 percent if not 90 percent of the deer that get hit, get hit at night,” Varillas said. “Unless they want to put lights all along 444, you’re never going to see a deer coming out.”
Varillas wondered if clearing away trees had anything to do with TDOT’s plans for the new four-lane Fort Loudoun Dam bridge that is under construction.
“Now, as Ross said, what they’re doing to these trees now is they’re creating dead trees. They’re creating those types of trees that will die and eventually fall over,” he said. “I mean those are the trees that they’re trying to say they’re stopping, but in reality they’re not. ... You’ve got crab grass growing in, you’ve got weeds growing in and then you’ve got brush. One of the prime feeders of fire is dry brush. It’s that simple.”
Public Works Director Jeff Gagley said the POA was working to set up a meeting with TDOT.
POA officials previously met with TDOT on March 14 to express their concerns about picking up torn trees along the parkway, Public Relations Manager John Cherry said.
“Well some of it you can’t improve once the damage is done, and that’s why we’re trying to take a proactive stance to work with TDOT,” Cherry said. “Instead of them just showing up and starting to do what they did this year, maybe there’s some meetings leading up to that where they talk about their plans for what they’re going to do and see how we can maybe help them. They may not want our help, but we’re going to offer our help and advice on where they should and shouldn’t cut them back so far.”
Picking up debris
The POA’s marketing campaign has been an overall success, doubling website visits and tripling conversation rates. According to the campaign’s quarterly report, Facebook likes increased by 33 percent, Discovery Package and Day Tour requests increased by 20 percent and completed tours increased by more than 300 percent.
“Tried to get them (TDOT) to understand that the parkway is the entry way from north and south for the Village, and with all these visitors we have coming in through the marketing program, it’d be nice that they didn’t see all these torn up trees along the parkway,” Cherry said.
Cherry said TDOT’s work would not be a “significant deterrent” for newcomers after they researched and experienced what the Village had to offer.
Varillas thinks differently.
“We’ve had people tell us when they drive down there it looks like a tornado came through,” Varillas said. “... It’s just not right to see what’s going on here, and they spend so much money marketing this area here, and it’s money well worth it, but it’s just to see what that looks like, I mean, it’s just not right.”
During weekly walks along the highway to pick up litter, Varillas said he sees the torn trees and fallen debris much easier than someone driving through the area.
“Well, through our actions with me talking to TDOT and Clayton Taylor, we convinced them that we’re not trying to get anybody in trouble here,” Metcalf said. “We just want somebody to come through and clean up what they do, and you could see some areas that they’ve done that with.”
One location that still needs cleaned up is near the Wellness Center, Varillas said. He suggested jail inmates could help clean up the debris.
“We’re not stupid, and nobody here is going to pay an extra $100 a month to have a regular landscaping company come by and do it. We all know that too,” he said. “But again, and that’s why I want to have TDOT here — why can’t they get the police, sheriff’s department, somebody in here, two or three guys and let them help clean up after these guys do what they do?”
