Rock City official responds to proposed Gondola concerns

A Rock City official is responding to concerns about a proposed gondola on Lookout Mountain.

Some residents worry the project could cause long-term impacts to safety, traffic, and privacy.

They’re also skeptical about whether or not the gondola will help with traffic concerns.

In a statement, Chief Operating Officer Greg Scheid said the goal of the gondola is to reduce vehicle traffic at the top of the mountain by shifting some visitor traffic to the base.

Scheid added that if the project moves forward, they would, “be accountable for the real-world results.”

Residents plan to hold a “Red-Out” in opposition to the proposal during a special meeting of the Lookout Mountain Planning Commission Wednesday at City Hall.

In its entirety, Scheid’s statement reads:

“Over the past several months, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to neighbors, community leaders, and friends across Lookout Mountain, St. Elmo, and Flintstone. I understand why Rock City’s proposed gondola has raised concerns. Traffic matters. Growth matters. The visual impact matters. And the long-term effect on this area matters too. I get that, and I take it seriously.
I’m not trying to brush those concerns aside. I just want to explain how we got here, and why we believe the gondola could actually help reduce impact instead of adding to it.
My wife and I chose Chattanooga because we love this community, and we plan to be here for the long haul. So when I think about decisions like this, I’m not thinking about them from a distance. This is home for us too.
I’ve also heard the concern that because I come from the theme park business, I must be here to turn Rock City into something it’s not. That’s just not true. The character of this place is exactly why people love it, and I have no interest in changing that.
Rock City has been part of this community for nearly a century. As a family-owned business, we do have to keep growing in a responsible way so we can stay strong and keep providing good jobs. The hard part is figuring out how to do that with as little impact as possible. That’s really what led us here.
Before the gondola was ever part of the conversation, we had plans to expand walking paths below the waterfall, including ADA accessible routes for strollers and wheelchairs. The plans were fully engineered and sent out for bid. But in the end, we chose not to move forward, because it would have increased attendance in a way our parking just couldn’t handle. And that would have meant more cars on Ochs Highway and more pressure on the neighborhoods around us.
So we stepped back and asked a different question. Is there a better way to get people here without sending more cars up the mountain? That’s where the gondola came from. Not as an attraction, but as a transportation solution.
This is not a thrill ride. It’s an ultra-quiet transportation system designed to move most visitor parking to the base and reduce vehicle traffic at the top. Most school buses and motorcoaches would stay at the base too, which helps with congestion and safety. And the arrival area is designed to fit the character of Fairyland and direct guests into Rock City, not into nearby neighborhoods.
Now, I understand the skepticism. It’s fair to ask whether traffic will really improve. Those questions deserve more than a promise on paper. If this project moves forward, we should be accountable for the real-world results.
And I want to be clear about something else. This is not an open-ended expansion. The request is specific. It’s limited. And it has already been shaped by community feedback. If we damage the character of this area, that hurts everyone, including Rock City. That is not what we want.
If this process has shown us anything, it’s that communication matters. Some concerns come from disagreement. A lot of them come from uncertainty. And on that front, we can do better.
Reasonable people can disagree about whether this is the right solution. I respect that. What matters most is that we keep the conversation grounded in facts, mutual respect, and a shared desire to protect what makes this place special.
At the end of the day, Rock City’s future is tied to this community’s future. I believe we can support our partners, manage access responsibly, and be good neighbors at the same time. It won’t always be easy, but it is worth working toward together.
— Greg Scheid”