Steve GannThe Great New Market Train Clash of 2009
July 3rd 2009 16:53
New Market is situated about 20 miles east of Knoxville. It is a beautiful county with hills and valleys and close proximity to the Smoky Mountains and several important interstate systems.
It is the interstate system that makes New Market as a prime location for a Norfolk Southern intermodal facility.
The county is near major interstates I-40 and I-75 which pretty much split the country in half and nearby I-81 runs throughout the important Northeast corridor.
In a recent town meeting over 300 citizens showed up to show their disapproval for the planned facility. The major compliant was the removal of 400 or so acres of farmable land and the increase in noise and traffic from the trucks going back and forth between Highway 11-E and the interstates.
As a libertarian, I have always stood up for individual rights and fought eminent domain abuse by government and corporations. However in this instance, I think that the proposed facilitie's benefits far outweighs a few acres of farmland.
The company would immediately hire 70 or so for the actual facility and an Insight Research study showed 1,800 jobs as a direct result of the facility.
A separate study by the University of Tennessee estimates up to 25,000 jobs could come to the area by 2025.
Even with the more modest study showing nearly 2,000 jobs in a county of only 45,000, its easy to see the economic impact from only 400 acres.
More people means more housing and higher property tax revenues for the state which directly helps school systems along with an increase in sales and wheel tax collections.
With many cities around the country unincorporating and ceasing to exist, the citizens of New Market should be thankful that Norfolk Southern has agreed to throw them a lifeline.
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