Midway Road Business Park

UPDATE: 8:53 pm The “Community” took their argument to the MPC and received 1 vote. The “community” hired Attorney David Buuck, who advocated on behalf of his client eminent domain for the willing property owners and made the best case Attorney Buuck could make and 3 County Commissioners voted for Buuck’s position.

What has changed? Nothing. Knox County currently owns all the acreage for our new Midway Road Business Park. The new business park will create 4,600 new jobs and nearly $12.0 million dollars in property tax revenue.

UPDATE: 1:05 pm Brian’s Blog is not new to this issue. I attended the first Thorngrove community meeting when Victor Jernigan agreed to delay his commercial zoning for thirty days. Brian’s Blog posted this on July 13, 2006 following the MPC decision. On August 24, 2006 Brian’s Blog posted this in support of the business park. I detailed the reason that Knox County needed this park and the post generated a few comments through blogger, a couple of emails to me and one phone call, however, Knox County Commission made the right decision following the Brian’s Blog endorsement. On August 29, 2006 Brian’s Blog posted this following the County Commission decision.

This is a post from pick1 on a local blog forum.

Midway Road Industrial Park
Submitted by pick 1 on Sat, 2006/12/16 – 10:42pm.

On Monday Knox County Commission will make a decision to appropriate or not, $7,500,000 of your tax dollars to begin work on the Midway Road Industrial Park. This is money Knox County does not have.This should be an insult to every resident. This issue was not properly placed on the agenda for public discussion and there is a pending lawsuit due to improperly changing the East Knox Sector Plan. When the commission is working for the good of the county it should not have to be sneaky to do it. Only these developers stand to gain from this industrial venture.Lets finish the high school for 2300 as planned, give teachers a raise comparable to surrounding counties and fund the Sherriff’s Department’s pension. Use our tax dollars wisely so we don’t have to pay to throw our trash in the bin.

This is NOT an insult to every resident of Knox County. We (Citizens of Knox County) recognize the need for additional business park inventory. Knox County is not strapped for cash, the $7.5 million in cash is available through bond proceeds.

There are many pending lawsuits within Knox County Government and just because a few citizens that do NOT live in close proximty to the site have filed a lawsuit doesn’t stop Good Government in its tracks.

Had pick1 been following the news in the last thirty days, this anonymous poster would understand that the school board is planning to place less than 1000 students in a school built for 2100 (not 2300, pick1). That is not the decision of the County Mayor or County Commission. The teachers have received better payraises in the past 4 years with a County Mayor that has reduced the size of General County Government by more than 200 positions. The Sheriff’s Department pensions can not be resolved until the TN Supreme Court opines on if the Knox County Charter is valid. That opinion will not stop the Business park as business parks are allowed for with or without a Charter form of Government.

It is odd that the small number of individuals in East Knox County that want to oppose the business park are so vocal. Yet, they drive to Guitar World off of Peters Road or off of Pellissippi Parkway to work everyday. It is o.k. to drive to someone else’s community to work but don’t bring progress to their corner of the world. The small number of people in East Knox County that are opposing this business park can not have it both ways.