Examining The Battlefield

Monday night SOFAH meeting in White Pine, Tennessee – Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

The Save Our Farms and Homes organization met on Monday evening to discuss issues pertaining to the recent decision by the Jefferson County Commission to tie County funding of the proposed Megasite to eminent domain and recent information concerning TVA and State of Tennessee’s statements on their participation in the proposed project. Present at the meeting was District 9 Commissioner Carmichael, who declared his intent to seek re election for the Commission seat in his district during the next County Commission election cycle, which will be in August 2014. All County Commission seats will be up for election during the August 2014 election. Organization members viewed a map that had been compiled with official and non official information regarding the status of options on property for the Megasite. The color coded map presented showed the vast majority of property coded as members of the Save Our Farms and Homes organization (blue) and being represented by Attorney Hurley in the property acquisition matter. Around 200 acres on the outside boundary area were identified as having signed options(red) with the negotiation team and some parcels lining the edge of the footprint were coded undeclared (green), though at least one property owner had publicly stated intent to retain property ownership.