2023 State of the Village Address
2022 in Review and 2023 on the Horizon
To look forward we should first rewind and see where we have been. The story begins on January 13, 2022, the day we received the Certificate of Occupancy to move into our new Mountain Hall. This day represented the dedicated effort of multiple mayors and councils to create a Mountain Hall to serve as the place to both “gather as a community and to conduct business”.
We knew using our Mountain Hall as a place to conduct business would be easy, but what we didn’t realize was “creating a place to gather” was even easier. Glance through the list below and you can see the many events we have hosted at our Mountain Hall.
Lulu’s Pilates Class
City Employee Captain Phil Shankles Wedding
Garden Club Meetings
Lookout Mountain Beautiful Spring Plant Sale
Laurelwood Christmas Decorations Event
Mountain Opry with Bluetastic Fangrass and Jay Brooks Band
Farm to Fork Food Truck and Pizza Oven Supporting Outdoor Events
Return to School Splash and Dash Event
Lookout Mountain Conservancy Board Appreciation Event
Katie Bostom’s Fall Market
Kelley Hoagland’s Santa Claus Photo Shoot
Stockings Full of Love Event Christmas Event
Brown Extended Family Christmas Gathering
Lookout Mountain Conservancy Community Forums
In addition to Mountain Hall events, what about a shout out to Kate Fuller and team for running the “The 1st Annual Hive Hustle” supporting LMS and Fairyland School; Michelle and Justin Workman running the July 4th Parade from the Mountain Hall to our Mountain Common; and of course, Meg Sanford and Amber Werner’s Halloween on Hardy sponsoring our Police and Fire Team.
2022 was an important and pivotal year for our community. Keith Sanford and team completed our Comprehensive Plan that ensures future development will preserve and enhance the peaceful and beautiful residential nature of our community. This is a requirement that the state of Georgia requires to be updated every 10 years. Additionally, we also completed the state required Strategic Inventory of Services and LOST (Local Options Sales Tax) Negotiation which supports the operation of the city.
On the trail and park front, the Fairy Trail Garden has had a new update. In the fall of 2022, John Prescott lost his wife Janie to a long battle with cancer. In honor of Janie, he raised funds to support adding what is being named Janie’s Path, connecting the patio area with the arbor in the back of the garden. The path was completed at the end of the year and is a great addition.
What will you see in 2023?
The first annual Groundhog Day event cosponsored by Rock City, Fairyland School and the city. Due to weather, it was held in the Fairyland School gym, but next year the festivities will be held at our Mountain Hall. The full program held on February 2nd can be seen in its entirety on the Lookout Mountain, Georgia website here.
The Joe Wilson Park (Corner of Red Riding Hood and Lula Lake) is closing in on the completion of Phase 1. The Beautification Committee (Jimmy Campbell, Lulu Brock, Carol Brown, Rebekah Hughes, and Penny Simmons) have been leading this charge. The purchase of 3000+ jonquil bulbs funded by the Garden Club of Lookout Mountain have been planted and are ready to bloom later this Spring. Doug Chapin and his Rock City team provided their support in planting the bulbs. We are thankful for their partnership.
It will be a pivotal year as Robyn Carlton, Executive Director of the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, and her team begin reimagining the Sims Interior Park on McFarland Road. Several weeks ago, Community Forums were led by Matt Whitaker to obtain community feedback on the design.
What else might you ask does 2023 have in store?
- We are watching the forecast closely as we anticipate rolling out “FTM (Food Truck Mondays) on the Hill” as soon as weather permits
- Buffering will be in place behind the Oberon Parking Lot
- Now that Phase 1 of the Mountain Center has been completed, we are hopeful that Phase 2 (Commercial/Retail) will begin soon. We expect to finalize a contract with a developer in the 1st quarter of 2023.
- Work is also underway to develop a framework plan for future growth of trails and sidewalks to further connect our parks, gardens, and schools
- An exploratory committee will be formed to develop a long-term plan for recreational needs for all ages of residents of Lookout Mountain
- Later this year, the restoration of the Lookout Mountain Club golf course will be complete with hopes to climb the list of best courses in the US.
What makes Lookout a special and magical place to live – that is easy, our residents…especially you! May 2023 be a banner year for you, your family, and all the residents of our mountain.
Sincerely,
David S. Bennett
Mayor, Lookout Mountain, Georgia
