REGENTS EYE LAKE DIMMICK FOR DEVELOPMENT

The Sewanee Mountain Messenger, Thursday, September 22, 2005

On Thursday, Sept. 15, fifty people gathered in Blackman Auditorium to learn about the University Regents’ recent consideration of the development of Lake Dimmick for residential and recreational use. The evening was organized by Frank Hart, professor of physics, and sponsored by ENTREAT (Enter Now the Reflection, Education, Action Treatise), Sewanee’s Local Societies Initiative (LSI) which is funded by the Metanexus Institution on Religion and Science, an organization dedicated to the constructive engagement of science and religion.

Lake Dimmick, constructed in 1971, was originally named Day Lake for Clarence Day who built the lake and donated much of the land around the lake to the University. It was renamed Lake Dimmick at the request of Day, who sought to honor the late Rt. Rev. William Arthur Dimmick. It is the third lake of Sewanee’s water supply lakes, with Lake O’Donnell and Lake Jackson serving as the Sewanee Utility District’s (SUD) primary and secondary water sources. Lake Dimmick has been used to supply water to the community once when in 1987, the driest year on record for the Domain, water was pumped from the lake for use in Sewanee and Monteagle. Currently, the lake is used recreationally by the University crew team and fishermen and with questionable legality, by hunters and ATV drivers.

The evening began with panel talks by University faculty: Bran Potter, geology and a member of the University subcommittee considering the development project; Robin Gottfried, economics; Ken Smith, forestry; Jon Evans, biology and director of the Landscape Analysis Lab; and Jim Peters, philosophy.

Potter explained that in 2004-05, under the leadership of then chair of the Board of Regents Nick Babson (C’68), the Regents initiated a project to explore setting aside a portion of the Domain to be used for alumni purposes. Babson, who sits on the boards of several real estate investment companies, engaged the firm of Dollan, Pollak & Schram (www.dps development.com) to study the feasibility of creating a residential development with the possibility of an 18-hole golf course and/or small conference center. DPS develops communities of $1 million-plus homes and sporting lodges and is responsible for, among other communities, the Ford Plantation in Savannah, Ga., and The Greenbriar Sporting Club in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.

In April, members of the Board of Trustees and the faculty learned of this plan. Both groups expressed concern about the lack of alumni, community, and faculty input. The Regents agreed to allow representatives from the faculty and Trustees on the committee considering the project. Faculty members Bran Potter and Fred Croom and Trustee Don Fishburne (C’73) were elected to join the committee. Potter has since accompanied the consulting firm during two visits to campus.

Potter explained that a market analysis is under way that includes a demographic study of potential homeowners and a study of the competitors in this market. The next step will be a site development analysis. When these steps are completed there will be a public presentation of the consultants’ findings and recommendations. Any decision to move ahead with the plan would be initiated by a recommendation from the Board of Regents to the Board of Trustees and finalized by a Trustee vote. Potter emphasized that his and Fred Croom’s roles are as interpreters and representatives and that they are available to answer any questions or pass along any community comments or concerns.

Other members of the faculty panel provided information on the state of the Cumberland Plateau and, in keeping with ENTREAT’s theme, the ethical dimensions of the project.

Prof. Gottfried pointed out that most of the large corporate landholders have begun to sell off property, leaving the state of Tennessee and the University as two of the largest landowners on the plateau. Gottfried explained that the portion of the plateau that is developed is increasing at an accelerating rate. Gottfried believes that some of this development is speculative and pointed to slow sales at Clifftops and virtually no sales at Cooley’s Rift as suggesting that the interest in development may be outpacing the demand for plateau housing.

Ken Smith began his remarks by reminding everyone that all the lands the University owns were provided by gifts and that the University needs to be mindful of the donors’ intentions. Prof. Smith described Lake Dimmick as an 80-acre lake on an 800-acre watershed. (For the sake of comparison, Lake Cheston covers eight acres.) He also pointed out that managing the dams on Lake Dimmick is both important and costly. Smith reminded the audience that when Day donated the property to the University, the agreement clearly stated that he understood that the University might want to develop the land for recreational use and/or single family residential lots for sale to third parties or faculty. Day’s only stipulations were that his foundation be consulted about development plans and that proceeds accrue to the University’s Clarence Day Fund. Smith stressed the importance of carefully considering the cost of extending services such as utilities and police protection to the area. He urged those assembled to remember that "we" in Sewanee goes beyond the residents and students and includes the alumni who consider themselves an integral part of this community. He also urged the community and the University to develop a philosophy of "not another square inch" that would require that when land is developed the University strive to purchase an equal amount of land on its borders to be conserved.

Jon Evans opened his remarks by stating that everyone comes to the land with a different set of values but that it is possible to love a place to death. Evans believes that it is the University’s land base and bio-diversity that make Sewanee truly unique among colleges. Evans told the audience that the large tracts of contiguous forest on the plateau are increasingly rare in the United States. Illustrating the biodiversity of the area, Evans noted that the Herbarium identified 11 new plant species for its collection in the area surrounding Lake Dimmick last summer. He believes that the University should use the land in a way that is consistent with its mission statement. Evans is particularly concerned that this project started with a land development consultant being engaged and not with community consideration of the more essential question of how the land might be used to support the University mission of "scientific study," "spiritual growth" and "reverent concern for the world."

Jim Peters reminded everyone that development is always a complex issue over which reasonable people can disagree. Peters bemoaned the fact that we live in a culture where success is measured solely by wealth and power but contended that the University’s mission statement asks us to aspire to a higher purpose, one that counters consumer culture. He recommended Derek Bok’s "Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher Education" as a thought-provoking treatment of some of these issues. Peters then urged a consideration of our priorities: "The mission statement suggests that we are stewards in the Judeo-Christian tradition of stewardship. Every decision we make should involve reverence for God and creation and respect for other people." He concluded by asserting that the connection that alumni and donors feel to this place is based on Sewanee’s not being like the larger society but its aspiration to something greater. Before opening the discussion to the audience, Frank Hart voiced his concern that this would be a high-end development that would reintroduce the social stratification that existed in Sewanee years ago and that he believes the community has worked hard to overcome.

Audience members questioned the wisdom of placing houses and a golf course in a watershed and the utility of single residence homes as opposed to a more land-efficient development plan. There were also concerns that the assumed role of Sewanee faculty as advocates for forest conservation and wise land use will be undermined by association with this project. Others countered that an environmentally responsible development could serve as a model for other developments and a teaching tool for our students. Potter indicated that he believes the developers would be sensitive to the environmental impact of the project.

Concerns were also raised that this would set a precedent for nonresident construction on leaseholds, but Potter indicated that this project would be an exception to the rule and would not affect the policy on the rest of the Domain. Audience members asked if there has been any consideration of placing the project on an already impacted property such as downtown or the golf course.

Robin Gottfried reminded the audience that over the years the University has divested itself of many of its auxiliary services because they were found to be onerous, costly and/or distractions from its mission. Professing his belief in the power of markets, he wondered why, if demand for this type of housing exists, the private market has not responded to it. It was pointed out that it has taken more than 25 years for Clifftops to come close to capacity and that Cooley’s Rift has languished.

Jim Peters stated that, all things being equal, he would prefer to see us honor all alumni, not just those who can afford a second home. His point was reiterated by an audience member who asked, "How many alumni will this satisfy? 40? 50? And, what about the alumni who come after them?" Others pointed out that people want to come back here precisely because it doesn’t look like Atlanta and Nashville. There was a complaint that the University’s admissions material suggests that there are 10,000 acres available to students but that those acres are increasingly being turned into people’s yards.

Potter concluded the evening by encouraging concerned students and residents to attend the public forum in October and to share their opinions with the Regents, Fred Croom and himself. — Reported by Sherri Bergman