Atomictumor

Edit: 3:01 PM - According to big Jim O’Connor, city manager for this great city of Oak Ridge, the place in the proceeding post is unsuitable, citing “due to access and wetlands there was not enough developable land left.” Nice try, Bob Monday, but stick to washing cars.

OK, after my rant regarding the nature of people throwing down referendums for reasons that appear self serving, I have been made aware of a reason why we shouldn’t all jump to conclusions on things.

According to Ellen Smith, one of them wild referendum rabble-rousers and fellow troublemaker-at-large, there are other opportunities for Target or another big box developer to locate. In fact, a letter to the Oak Ridger she pointed out written by Bob Monday indicates that theres 40 odd acres of much easier-to-develop land just waiting for the taking down behind Dean Stallings Ford, on S. Illinois, that on a cursory glance may be more suitable.

The caveat here is that it looks to be much smaller than the gigantic Pine Ridge undertaking, and wouldn’t be able to support as many businesses, so a Supertarget or whatever wouldn’t have as many friends.

However, the upside to the thing is that projected (and, granted, the sources here are somewhat unverified, but who believes what you read on the internet anyway, right?) costs would be a tenth of what the Crestpointe deal would be. No bond would be required, alleviating the referendum issue, and making everybody but the jackass who leveled Pine Ridge happy.

Whats interesting is that in the mighty big push, which, admittedly, I got caught up in, to develop this puppy at Pine Ridge, other avenues of development were ignored. Sure, everybody pointed out the empty buildings in town, which by and large would be unusable (the food city buildings on Illinois and here in the East end would be way too small, face it), but nobody paid much attention to this other spot of land, in the same neck of the woods.

Interesting.

So, what have we learned here, AT?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I like ranting at people and making problems.

And I like saying Referendums.

Whatchu gonna do about it, internet?