What three commissioners were missing?

Voting YES:

Bailey, Carey, Clancy, Ewart, Johnson, Lobetti, Sharp, and Anders

MPC Commissioners and bios from MPC web site

(link...)

that would have been a "no," (Longmire) a "yes" (Stowers) and a who knows (Benefield).

I am curious if Stowers and maybe Benefield already new what the vote would be?

I think most everybody expected it to pass, so I wouldn't ascribe SS Law violations to anyone.

I would like to personally thank Commissioners Michael Kane, Laura Cole, Nate Kelly and Rachel Craig for their vote today. I believe Laura Cole came to all of the public meetings and Rachel came to most, if not all. Rachel certainly did her homework as evidenced by her posts here. I especially appreciate her level of engagement on this forum.

We didn't expect to win at MPC today but the war isn't over by a long shot. You can spin it any way you like, but the bottom line is that this is the classic definition of sprawl and our government officials for the most part continue to enable it.

They talk a good game but when push comes to a greenfield near you, most of them fold. Some people didn't fold today and the community sincerely appreciates it.

It should also be noted that Rachel Craig made some of the more thoughtful and deliberative comments during the discussion. She apparently takes her duties seriously, and voted accordingly.

Kudos to you, Rachel. Thanks for doing your research and for listening.

That the KNS doesn't even know what Interstate Midway is on?

MPC OKs sector plan for I-75 site
E. Knox residents oppose proposal for business park

East Knox County residents told Metropolitan Planning Commission members Thursday that a business park in the Midway Road area along Interstate 75 was an unneeded project that the Development Corporation of Knox County was trying to muscle through the planning agency.

I find that incredible.

I'm surprised they reported on it at all.

I can understand being confused about where "midway" is, but north is not east. Sheesh.

Did anyone happen to notice the story in today's News-Sentinel about how Panasonic is closing and leaving their 360,000 s/f facility empty? Guess it will join the North American Phillips facility that has been empty for a couple of years now.

But if you listen to Mike Edwards, Todd Napier and "I don't have a dog in this fight but I let Mike Edwards send an email to our Chamber Partnership mailing list asking for support from the business community for Midway" Knox Chamber President Mike Strickland, we are desperate for places for business to locate here.

So did I hear correctly that MPC staff recommended, and commission approved, that only companies that produce domestic wastewater will be allowed in the Midway Business Park?

This would mean that there would likely be no manufacturing and that park would truly be a "business" park, not an industrial park?

After sitting through MPC yesterday, and having monitored the pertinent comments in this forum recently, I tip my hat to Rachel Craig. Her questions and comments at MPC reflected the effort she put into her decision. I agreed with her vote, but I would say the same thing had it been otherwise.

LVG

I should probably give a hat tip as well. After the vote yesterday, the Chamber's Rhonda Rice introduced herself to me, and thanked me for putting in an effort to understand all issues associated with this vote.

I thought that was very gracious.

RNeal, where is your great graphic of the multi-purpose bus station, convention center, library, and monorail?

You might as well show what the Midway Industrial>Business>Golf Course>Equestrian Club>Race Track>Road House>Public Park will look like.

Kim Henry, Kim Henry. That name kept tickling my memory and it just came to me that she's one of the members of Haslam's former developers' taskforce who joined in on a neighborhood-bashing session during his first term in office. They were recommending that projects needing to go before MPC or City Council do it in January or February when civilians were less likely to turn out in opposition; calling them 'senior citizens and housewives,' etc. They were having a big old time ridiculing the folks who aren't getting paid to be at these meetings(not realizing that one of them was in their midst, taking notes).
It was an unguarded "A-Ha!" moment much like the one when a TDC official told Elaine Clark's husband Tim that she didn't give a ratsass what he had to say one evening when they ran into each other after a meeting.
The contempt some of these folks have for the rank-and-file citizen is breathtaking.

There may be some surprises. Several important resolutions are up today.