Photo courtesy of Jacob Davick
On January 13, Rock City Enterprises announced plans to construct a gondola system connecting Rock City Gardens to their Blowing Springs Farm in Flintstone, Georgia estimated to cost $30 million.
Red and green signs displaying “No Gondola” or “Yes Gondola” have peppered the mountain since the project was proposed to the planning commission.
The city’s current zoning ordinance is the primary hurdle preventing Rock City from breaking ground. Ordinance no. 292 section 10-5 explicitly prohibits sky and chair lifts. Rock City proposed an amendment which would add a paragraph permitting “aerial ropeway passenger conveyance systems, specifically including gondolas and the corresponding infrastructure.”
The Lookout Mountain Planning Commission recommended against the zoning amendment change by 5-2 on June 10. The meeting was open to the public, but attendees were prohibited from holding the floor. Many wore red and brought “No Gondola” signs.
A follow-up zoning meeting will take place September 21 at Lookout Mountain Town Hall with the city council.
Pepper Raper, public relations and marketing manager for Rock City Gardens, said in an interview,
“Our goal is always to remain as a beautiful garden. We’re not trying to turn into a theme park. Aside from the fact that the zoning won’t allow us to do that, that’s just also not what we want.”
Raper claims Rock City will conduct extensive research, including geological surveys, flooding studies, and traffic reports to guide the project.
“There’s been a lot of accusations,” she said, “of, ‘Oh, they haven’t done these things. They’re trying to push this through.’ It’s really just a misunderstanding of the process … We’re not going to pay five million dollars to have a study done if we can’t execute the project.”
Many have raised concerns about the gondola increasing traffic in St. Elmo.
Raper stated Rock City’s intention is to redirect the majority of parking down to Flintstone, Georgia creating 700 to 2,000 parking spots. Parking atop Lookout would become paid.
Community members have speculated that Rock City is expanding their features in order to sell.
Raper stated: “Doug [Chapin; Rock City CEO] is a fourth generation owner. He just bought it two years ago. So he’s still really new in the role … he has no intention of selling it.”
Raper acknowledged the intense community reception: “We also have gotten a lot of feedback from people from the get-go that said, ‘I think it’s a good project, but I’m not going to speak up about it … I’m not trying to fight with my neighbors.’”
Despite Rock City’s emphasis on community transparency and traffic reduction, the proposal continues to raise concerns.
The No Gondola Lookout Coalition submitted a memorandum to the City Council on behalf of 1,137 verified petitioners, available in full on their website.
Haley Shealy, a business owner in Flintstone and member of the No Gondola Lookout Coalition, stated that her community is opposed as well.
“I know they [No Gondola] were going door to door and they got 51 signatures,” said Shealy.
In a city council meeting on September 10, Lookout Mountain residents Penny Simmons and Cindy Whitaker took the floor.
“The residents have graciously tolerated the inconveniences generated by Rock City for many, many years,” Whitaker said, “The expansion plans would not be tolerable.”
Simmons also raised the possibility of Rock City being sold: “If this amendment passes, these sweeping land use rights are permanently attached to the property, not the current owners. A corporate conglomerate with no ties to our community will inherit these broad powers and can utilize them against Lookout …”
Whitaker added: “It appears the majority of the people in favor of the gondola have a personal relationship with the owner and his family or a financial interest in Rock City.”
“They [Rock City Enterprises] are shooting for an amusement park,” Shealy said. “Word on the street is they’ve already sold, they’re just waiting on the ‘yes’ vote.”