This was about finding a way for Knox County to pay for sewage and electrical improvements to better facilitate the creation of new subdivisions

TVA held an open house at Carter High School yesterday to present various options for a new high-voltage transmission line running from the Volunteer Substation near Mascot to the Midway Rd exit. They claimed the need for this line was unrelated to the business park or to potential growth in East Knox County.

One possible site for the Midway Rd substation is right next to business park, and the other is immediately across the interstate, smack dab in the middle of a parcel owned by Victor Jernigan.

I agree. This isn't dead yet. Last year in the midst of a presentation Victor Jernigan gave to the French Broad Preservation Association, in which he claimed the industrial park was inevitable (ha ha!). He also said that if the park didn't happen, then for sure residential development would. And they will try to get sewer to make that happen. A friend who works at Co. Engineering says there is all kind of back room dealing going on right now over the Midway road area involving Ragsdale, Sherrod(a developer who has 100 acres near the proposed park site) and others(probably Jernigan).

On a related note, anyone heard of this "Green Route" coming through Thorngrove/Midway Rd exit area? Its the east Knox Co counterpart to the Orange Rt, connecting 75 with 40 at Midway exit. You could see plans for such a road coming out of the industrial park in the drawings for the industrial park posted on the development corp's website.

But the plans are now removed from the site. Interestingly. as I recall the route was almost exactly that of the TVA-waterville right of way, shown on the plans for TVA's new substation at Midway- referenced below by Rikki -

I don't know if you can build a road on that route, or if the right of way is wide enough to do so. But all concerned need to be aware of this next assault on the Thorngrove community. The Green Route may be linked to the industrial corridor that Rikki referenced in his article on the Industrial Park a couple years ago.

So have your ear to the ground for another "public" meeting, probably announced a day or two ahead of the meeting (or a day after), in which they will ask for comment about a lovely Greenway with lots of family picnic areas, connecting Midway exit with I 75.

thanks
Sugarfatpie

X-Rays are a hoax."-Lord Kelvin

This is from the sentinel
"TDOT is conducting an extended study on the possibility of funding the parkway as a toll road, one of several possible pilot projects across the state. It would include the so-called "Orange Route" that would connect Interstate 75 north of Knoxville in Anderson County with I-40/75 in Loudon County. It ultimately also could connect I-75 in Anderson County to I-40 east of Knoxville, at Exit 409 near the Jefferson/Sevier county line."

Also, thanks for your very kind words Beanster!
Sugarfatpie

"X-Rays are a hoax."-Lord Kelvin

Child Leukemia Again Linked to Power Lines
Study: Slight Tendency for Kids With Leukemia to Live Near Power Lines
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
June 2, 2005 -- Living near high-voltage power lines raises children's risk of leukemia by 69%, a British study shows.
(link...)

I've looked into this area of investigation fairly extensively over the years. Despite strong evidence that power lines have health effects, the big utilities have funded a successful disinformation campaign through bought and paid-for "scientific" research. They fund a lot of this through the Electric Power Research Institute.

I think its an outrage that TVA only seeks 100 ft right of ways. This means they are basically on top of houses. You can light a florescent bulb under one of these without plugging it in.

(link...)

sugarfatpie
"X-Rays are a hoax."-Lord Kelvin

Several months ago, I received a letter from TVA stating that my property "may" be located on the Waterville Easement area. When I tried to obtain information from TVA, there was very limited information available and all I was told was that there would be surveying done in the coming months. As expected, I did see surveyors at work just behind my property. I waited for more info from TVA. Finally, on the day of the public meeting at Carter, I received a registered letter informing me of the public meeting. Yes, the meeting was already underway when I received the letter. Coincidence?

Personally, I don't feel comfortable at all having my child live near such power lines. According to the maps that have been made available, the lines will also be located very close to the property where the new Carter Elementary school is proposed to be built - and still remains to be seen. It just doesn't appear as though there is *any* concern with the quality of life for East Knox Countians and our children, either from TVA or our county governement.

He's got a lot of nerve talking about foresight and patience with regard to the Midway Business Park, a project that has never been voted on. If Commission had committed to investing in an industrial park and THEN selected a site and made the necessary zoning and sector plan changes, the project wouldn't be tied up in court (and probably would be happening at a more appropriate location). Instead of foresight, the site selection was done out of sight by MPC and the Development Corp, then Commission impatiently jumped straight to the zoning and sector-plan changes, landing in a lawsuit.

The only foresight in the project was that shown by the handful of connected developers whose insider trading in land purchases has already netted them a profit.

What exactly is Harris advocating anyway? The VW plant is to be built on a brownfield site that was already in government hands. The Midway Rd site is farmland and forest that was privately owned by people who were cheated out of some of their land's value by inside traders. Does he want more of that?

If there is a market for manufacturing facilities to support the VW plant, why does the government need to be involved? Oh yeah, I forgot: all the yammering about free markets is just talk; Republicans actually advocate corporate socialism. The pervasive dishonesty and intellectual laziness of conservatives can be such a distraction.

So where were we? Trying to figure out how big of a corporate giveaway we need to sponsor to compete with all the flat land along US 411 and I-75 in Miegs, McMinn, Monroe, Loudon and Blount counties, right? That's foresight!