Lawsuit filed to stop Midway park

A local activist group has filed a lawsuit to stop the proposed Midway Business Park, saying it will endanger the water underneath the proposed East Knox County site.

The move comes two months after county leaders officially paved the way to get the project up and running.

The complaint, filed in Knox County Chancery Court, says the more than 300 acres just off I-40 near Strawberry Plains sits directly above an aquifer that the nearby residents use and any intense development will jeopardize it.

“We all drink out of that aquifer and they don’t care,” said Bob Wolfenbarger, president of the 8th District Preservation Association. “It will destroy the aquifer no matter what they do there.”

The non-profit group filed the lawsuit Friday against the Development Corporation of Knox County, the county, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Knox County Commission.

The lawsuit notes that the area is composed of “high undulating terrain containing numerous sinkholes” and is “unsuitable for large-scale development, as reflected in the East Knox County Sector Plan of 1995.”

On Tuesday, Wolfenbarger told WBIR 10News that “nothing in the area has changed.”

“This just happens to be a bad site and they don’t want to believe it,” he said.

MORE: Copy of the complaint

Knox County Law Director Richard “Bud” Armstrong declined to comment, saying his office received a copy of the lawsuit late Monday and he hasn’t had time to review it.

Todd Napier, president of the Development Corporation, said: “We’re very disappointed. We continue to have some individuals who are working to delay or stop a project that will ultimately be to the benefit to Knox County. We will vigorously defend the actions that have been taken and move on.”

The Knox County Commission in December voted to change the sector plan that governs the zoning for the property to allow for an industrial park.

Officials with the Development Corporation, which bought the land in 2006, say the project could attract a large-scale manufacturer or distributor, and bring in $200 million in wages.

Business leaders stress that the property is among the last large tracts available that can be used to promote business park developments.

Commish rezones land for Midway

The Knox County Commission approved changes Monday night to property off Midway Road, clearing the way for a proposed business park site.

The commission voted to change the sector plan and zoning for the property, which has been owned by the Development Corporation of Knox County since 2006.

The Development Corporation previously tried to introduce a business park to this area several years ago, but the plan did not have enough support.

At the meeting Monday night, residents of the area surrounding the proposed site voiced their opposition to the plans.

“I was disappointed, and I'll tell you the reason is because they've asked for community input,” said Ed Reid, a resident of the area. “Every time, including tonight, lots of people show up opposed to it, and it means nothing to them."

Those opposed to the business park idea cited concerns that the land has sinkholes and runoff issues, and it would bring unwanted traffic to a rural residential neighborhood.

Representatives from the Development Corporation spoke at the meeting, and said the land fits the criteria for a business park. The representatives also said a new business park would help bring more businesses to Knox County and expand existing ones.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Public meets to talk business park

Don't kid yourself: The votes are there. This is getting approved.

Residents at an East Knox County meeting Thursday night brought up issues ranging from sewage and lighting to a cemetery that could be impacted by a proposed business park off Interstate 40.

The public was invited to a meeting at Carter Elementary School to discuss the project in the Midway area near Midway Road and Thorn Grove Pike. Presenters also went over feedback received at a similar meeting last month.

The Development Corp. of Knox County acquired the site about 10 years ago.

The Metropolitan Planning Commission and Knoxville Utilities Board were on hand to address concerns and share new information about the project.

Business leaders stress it's among the last large tracts available that can be used to promote business park developments.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Workshops, tour set to discuss East Knox Co. Midway business park

The Knox County Development Corporation is recycling an old proposal – one that officials say will turn empty East Knox County fields into jobs.

To do that, though, local leaders say they’ll need public buy-in.

That starts with two public meetings to talk about what residents would like built there, and one public bus tour of the already operational West Knox County business parks, so residents can see just how they might look.

The two workshops are set from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 17 and Oct. 8 at Carter Elementary School.

“(This) is to get down to talking about the concept of a business park,” said Todd Napier, the president and CEO of the Development Corporation of Knox County. “What will be palatable, what would not be, what would someone want to see, what would that look like, what type of uses would be acceptable versus unacceptable, what kind of public amenities would people want.”
Napier said he want residents to tell the corporation “what is about business parks that get people concerned, (and) what is it about business parks that excites them.”

The bus tour, hosted by Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, is set for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 15, and concludes in East Knox County with a barbecue meal for the public. The event will include Knox County Commissioners. At this point, officials say there are probably 30 or so open seats on the bus for the public. To book a seat, call 865-215-HELP.

“The Development Corporation’s property at Midway Road has the potential to be a significant economic development asset for East Knox County,” the mayor said. “There are many steps to get to a developed, useful site, but they all begin with seeking public input. The bus tour and cook-out will begin that process. I want to hear the concerns of the community around Midway Road and then work with The Development Corporation, the Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Knox County Commission to address those concerns so we can grow jobs in our region.”

For more, RIGHT HERE.