Mon
Jul 10 2006
10:37 am
Pinkston said, "He's a local boy and a man of his word."
By: bizgrrl

Pinkston said, "I'm not concerned whatsoever about Mr. Weaver coming through with the gazebo. He's a local boy and a man of his word."

Ugghhh.  From an article in the Knox News Sentinel, Knox County apparently had to remind a developer of their obligations. County residents and residents close to the park should have been asked about allowing the sewer pumpling station in the park in the first place. Why couldn't the developers put it on their property? Maloney Road Park is a small park and the sewer pumping station is a definite eyesore. It is late now and the sewer pumping station is there to stay. 

I don't doubt that the gazebo will be built, but puhleese..., Pinkston's statement does not give me confidence at all. It sounds like a page right  out of the good ole boy handbook. Weaver's been building condo's in Florida for a decade or so, returning to East Tennessee to build more.

Read more ...

I wish the condo's on Maloney were prettier, I wish the county had required more green space, I wish the county had not let them use park land, I wish the county had required the developer to clean up the park after use by their employees (I wrote many county officials and never received one response), I wish the county had required a dock, gazebo, and the bathrooms. For years to come we will be affected by this sewer pumping station that will only cost this developer $15,000 for the dock (the county had to provide access to the dock) and gazebo (will the county have to provide steps to the gazebo?). That's less than 2% of the current price of one of the condos at this location. It is projected there will be 31 condos there. Developers and the City of Knoxville and Knox County do seem to work well together, except that sometimes the government entities appear to need more experience in writing contracts, in addition to involving their constituents in growth planning decisions.

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Stick Thrower's picture

I wish Knox County cared about parks

Submitted by Stick Thrower on Mon, 2006/07/10 - 9:59pm.

Where did you came up with the 31 condo number? The KNS article says there are 40 condo units planned. Perhaps if they'd stuck with just 31, Weaver could have allocated pump station space on his own property, and they could've kept the sewer out of the park. Tax incentives and subsidizing private development are bad enough, but--in this case--giving up public land is a permanent loss. For $15,000 worth of stuff that will rot out in ten years, this was a BAD deal.

 
I'm one of the locals who uses that park, and I agree with Pinkston that it didn't really need restrooms... but it also didn't really need the gazebo and a floating dock (it ain't "floating" 5 months out of the year, if you know what I mean). It definitely didn't need forty 3-story, ass-ugly condos blocking the horizon. 
 
Now, clearing up that little island and building a bridge/walkway out to it... that might have been kind of nice, although the herons would probably disagree.
 

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