Citizens Oak Ridge

Letters to the Editor

Let GBT/Target spend own money

6/1/2007

To the Editor:

It's blatantly evident that the local press favors the bond referendum known as Crestpointe. And, as I expected, a lot of local "names" do, too.

But then there are the rest of us. We lack editorial backing, we lack money for a hearty campaign opposing the bond referendum. On the flip side, we've had several excellent letters to the editor published. We'll all find out on Tuesday, June 5, whether we lack voters. I hope not: I'm voting NO!

Why am I voting no? I feel that our city leaders have been misled, and are unknowingly deceiving us. They hope that Crestpointe is a "done deal.”

I feel that the site proposed for Crestpointe is a very poor location. Several other sites have been suggested — albeit they aren't quite as huge an acreage as the present proposal. But they're much easier to develop, so development will involve much less money. And time.

It would take a couple years to remove the present infrastructure, bulldoze the hill some more, build that huge retaining wall that's proposed, and install new infrastructure. Only then could the BUILDINGS for Crestpointe be started. Then there's another two or three years before any stores open. (Oak Ridgers would be PAYING INTEREST on the bonds all this time, of course.)

The hoped-for tax collections from the "extra businesses" (shared with the Anderson County government) would need to be extraordinarily high if they were to begin to pay off our debt. (And I don't believe the extra business and tax money will be coming primarily from the Knoxville area. It'll come from the more rural communities to the north and west of Oak Ridge.)

If GBT/Target (or any other big box outfit) wants to come to Oak Ridge, let them spend THEIR OWN MONIES in the development, including site preparation.

I hope that Oak Ridgers are riled up enough about this bond issue to go to the polls and vote! And I hope they'll defeat the referendum known as Crestpointe! I'm definitely voting NO.

Marcay Dickens

Oak Ridge

http://www.oakridger.com/stories/060107/opi_174087780.shtml