After more than seven months of debate and growing division within the community, the Lookout Mountain City Council is preparing to decide whether to clear a regulatory path for Rock City’s controversial gondola proposal.
The council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, at City Hall, 1214 Lula Lake Road, to discuss and vote on proposed amendments that would allow “aerial ropeway passenger conveyance systems” in the city’s tourism commercial district.
The proposed changes are tied to Rock City’s request to develop a gondola-style aerial transportation system as part of its tourism operation. The project has generated both support and opposition among Lookout Mountain residents, with much of the discussion centered on the potential impact on the community, including traffic, development, aesthetics and the character of the mountain.
The proposal has remained a contentious issue for much of the year, prompting extended discussion as city officials consider whether existing regulations should be changed to accommodate the project.
Under the current proposal, the council would amend city regulations to specifically permit aerial ropeway passenger conveyance systems within the designated tourism commercial district.
The Sept. 21 meeting will include comments from Mayor Arch Willingham, council discussion and a vote on the proposed amendments.
Although the meeting is open to the public, the city’s agenda states that it will not be a public hearing. That means the council is scheduled to discuss the matter and take action rather than conduct a formal public hearing on the proposal.
The council will not take up the Rock City request during its regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, Sept. 10.
The special meeting on Sept. 21 represents a significant step in the lengthy debate over the proposed gondola and could determine whether the city’s regulations will allow the project to move forward.
The meeting will be held at Lookout Mountain City Hall, 1214 Lula Lake Road, and is open to the public.