There’s a lot of information out there about the Crestpointe proposal, and I would hope that everyone in Oak Ridge will take time to familiarize themselves with the facts before voting in the June 5 election (early voting is May 16-31).
It hasn’t been formally announced that there will be a referendum, as the signatures have not been certified by the election commission, but it seems all but certain given the number that was claimed by those gathering signatures.
The City has a list of Frequently Asked Questions on their website, which is a good starting point.
Councilman Abbatiello has produced a white paper with a great deal of detail and analysis from a fiscal perspective (fig. 1 and fig. 2 are at the end), which he closes with the following very strong statement:
In my opinion, to do nothing is NOT an option! We must increase our non-property tax revenues within the very near future. Unless you have a better idea which can produce a higher General Fund return, you should support Crestpointe.
The Oak Ridger recently published an article detailing the conditions which must be met before any funds are released — these are critical, as the conditions are quite stringent and represent the safeguards that previous endeavors were lacking.
I’ve previously posted an e-mail from the City Manager with information about other sites that were evaluated, which many citizens continue to bring up as alternate locations.
Without question, there’s a lot more information to come, as a group has recently formed to help promote passage of this referendum (as a first step; their collective goals are actually much broader in helping Oak Ridge to grow and improve) and they’re gathering even more information to respond to questions in the community. This group is FOR: Future of Oak Ridge, and they’ll have a website up within days.
As Daco noted yesterday, it’s an impressive group.
Read up and be prepared to make an informed decision.
P.S.:Â Here’s the Tennessean article about GBT’s similar development in Spring Hill
The anti group leaders do not care about facts to improve The City of Oak Ridge in either education or the tax structure. Thus will not consider any of this but the folks really wanting information will read this to get the information.
The anti folks leadership is for the “status quo” and that is interesting because MC is involved in that faction. I recall at one point he was against maintaining the ‘status quo”. I recall many posts on the OR forums regarding how bad the “status quo” really is in the City.
Hmmmm? What goes around, comes around. MC is now is the “status quo”. This means he is just part of the flow.
Infrastructure is a legitimate government function, sewers, water line, waste waterdisposal, roads, electric and such are usually supplied by government. I really do wonder where the anti folks think the road in front of their house came from and who maintains it, where their water lines happened to come from infront of their house, and where their crap goes when they flush.
LOL… and I needed a good laugh today!
This information really wasn’t intended for the folks who’ve already made up their minds, but history tells me there are probably a fair number who haven’t yet done so, or, who may have formed a preliminary opinion but are still open to learning something that could effect a change of heart.
It is simple ironic that one of the anti’s supporters is against the “status quo” as he puts it for many years. Then low and behold the status quo can be changed by a simple note to allow for more development adding to the tax rolls, putting out a net to catch the turkeys going to the creek from WOR (west of Oak Ridge) on STATE HWY 62 (BTW that State part means that it goes through many counties unbroken bringing travelers from all over) to assist in putting an end to the status quo he was always complaining about so much.
He may very well be what get flushed in the infrastructure improvements. No wonder the bathrooms at the OR mall (it’s so small, it’s not like a mall at all) were closed. MC filled it up with crap.
In other words MC wants the mall to have toilets but not Crestpoint where brand new toilets that can flow down hill and work much better.
could exist…..
Maybe he is afraid that the suction from the flush would be so strong that he couldn’t stand up.