Walker County Commission approves next step of Rock City gondola project
A rendering of the proposed Rock City gondola.
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. (WDEF)- The proposal by one of our area’s top attractions was back in the spotlight Thursday night.
Rock City is looking to add a gondola that would change how many visitors travel to see seven states.
The Walker County Commission meeting was at full capacity as folks wanted to talk about the proposed gondola.
Rock City’s rezoning request was in order to allow a parcel of land Rock City owns at the top of the mountain to be commercial for the gondola, which the Commission approved.
Rock City says they want to reduce traffic at the top of the mountain.
But, some are worried about what it’ll do to the traffic at the bottom.
One resident, Martina Brown, said, “We also feel that they could’ve at least come to us and ask us what we thought.”
The top concern raised by those who spoke against the Rock City proposal was the potential increase in traffic to the gondola boarding site.
Currently, most traffic to Rock City has to go up Ochs Highway to go up Lookout Mountain.
However, if the gondola is built, they believe up to three thousand cars a day per a traffic study would be diverted to Blowing Springs Farm off of Highway 193 just south of the state line, where Rock City has done its corn maze.
Brown said, “People almost get hit all the time on 193 trying to pull out of our neighborhood and even on Chattanooga Valley Road because how fast the people drive.”
Rock City President and CEO Doug Chapin says he is confident that the increase in traffic is sustainable.
Their traffic study concluded that traffic would be dispersed via Battlefield Parkway and St. Elmo Avenue.
Chapin said, “We are confident from that study that we can do this in a way that’s responsible and easy to be managed. There’s a lot of work from here to there with GDOT, but we’re confident from what we have seen in the study and plan to share that with municipalities as we move forward.”
With the approval on Thursday evening, there is still a long way to go in a developing this new gondola.
Walker County Commissioner Gene Wilson said, “I already reached out to the state rep and trying to get meetings with GDOT. These are gonna be months of discussion to decide what they’re gonna do and how they’re gonna do.”
Chapin says that he believes the gondola will a net positive for road safety, and plan to hold public meetings at both the top and bottom of Lookout Mountain once GDOT presents their traffic plans.
He said, “It is going to be a one-of-a-kind experience in Chattanooga. It will include safer access to Rock City, taking cars off curvy mountain roads. Providing an accessible experience at our core attraction for families of all different abilities to be able to enjoy with incredible views. It will be a really neat experience.”
The next step in this process is a zoning proposal in the town of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, which will be accompanied by a public hearing.
That will be on February 24 at 5:30 p.m.
This will be the final zoning approval before the design phase begins.
Chapin says if everything goes to plan, that could be as early as January 2027 when construction begins, and it would take 18 months to two years for the completion of the gondola.
