By MONA NAIR
6 News Reporter
FARRAGUT (WATE) - People in the historic village of Concord shared their concerns about the possibility of being annexed by Farragut at a meeting Monday evening.
Concord is a historic community located in West Knox County near Farragut. The village is home to several businesses, as well as land used for small livestock. Farragut was established in 1980, after the town resisted annexation by the City of Knoxville.
"I think the community wanted to have their own standards. They wanted to be different from Knoxville and Knox County," explained Farragut Town Administrator David Smoak.
The village of Concord has been around since 1854 and the Farragut Folk Life Museum even has an exhibit dedicated to neighboring Concord. Leaders want to make Concord a part of Farragut. But the idea is not going over well with people living in the old village.
"Well this is an old, historic area and Farragut is an up-and-coming, modern establishment. I'm just afraid it would not be right for our community," said Evelyn Wood, a resident of Concord.
At the meeting, the mostly resistant residents questioned the motives of Farragut leaders.
"What benefit is this to the town of Farragut?" asked one resident.
But city officials insist the issue is not about money, it's about preservation.
"There really would be no benefit to Farragut economically. It would probably cost us more money than it would if we didn't annex them," Smoak said.
And decades after Farragut resisted becoming a part of Knoxville, the tables have turned.
"I just want to make sure we stay our own area and be a part of the county rather than Farragut," Wood said.
There will be more meetings scheduled to further discuss the annexation issue.
The village of Concord has been around since 1854 and the Farragut Folk Life Museum even has an exhibit dedicated to neighboring Concord.
"There really would be no benefit to Farragut economically. It would probably cost us more money than it would if we didn't annex them," Smoak said.
