TVA staff recommends swap of lake waterfront to developer
CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee Valley Authority land managers will recommend trading away to a private developer 578 acres of Nickajack Lake waterfront, some of it obtained decades ago from farmers and other private owners forced to sell to the government.
Tom Kunesh, a spokesman for the Sacred Little Cedar Mountain Defense Coalition that contends American Indian cultural properties would be destroyed by the proposed residential and recreational community, said approval would “definitely” mean a court fight.
A board agenda released Wednesday shows the utility staff intends to recommend Sept. 28 that the two board members, Bill Baxter and Skila Harris, approve a public auction sale of the land in Marion County “for appropriate exchange of land and other compensation.”
A swap proposed by developer John “Thunder” Thornton would allow him to build hundreds of homes, a golf course and marina, in return for him giving to TVA about 1,100 acres, including a Tennessee River island.
Some American Indian groups say the project about 30 miles west of Chattanooga would destroy land that is sacred to them and historically valuable next to Little Cedar Mountain. Also, some families who lost their property because TVA had eminent domain powers to buy it say it is wrong for the utility to deal the land away to a wealthy developer.
A cultural survey funded by Thornton, a politically connected University of Tennessee trustee, show the land he has proposed swapping to TVA — 615-acre Cedar Mountain, a 260-acre farm and the 220-acre island — is more archaeologically and environmentally valuable than the TVA land.
Thornton’s Thunder Enterprises also offered to fund an interpretive trail on the adjacent Little Cedar Mountain.
Thornton has said he was “absolutely comfortable” that TVA’s largely undisturbed land adjacent to Little Cedar Mountain would benefit from his proposed private development.
Brandon Born, president of Thunder Enterprises, said he and other company executives were “excited about the finding of no significant impact and looking forward to seeing what the board does next Wednesday.”
Born said talk of a court challenge was not unexpected.
“It is unfortunate, but part of being a developer,” he said.
Born said there could be homes completed on the scenic mountainous landscape along Interstate 24 in a year, or 18 months, if everything goes favorably.
The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has given its support to Thornton’s proposal. Director Mike Butler has said it represents a net gain of “acreage, conservation values and a better situation in terms of public benefits.”
TVA spokesman John Moulton said Baxter and Harris could not be reached for comment Wednesday and likely would not comment on the proposal before the meeting.
Kunesh said a TVA cultural artifact survey of the lands was inadequate and the utility has ignored American Indian concerns.
“There are three parties here, TVA that owns the land, Thornton that wants the land and Native American tribes that have a cultural affiliation,” Kunesh said.
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