By TIM MILLER
6 News Anchor/Reporter

KINGSTON, TN -December 20, 2006- While residents in Roane and Loudon counties await a vote by Roane County commissioners, the Roane County Chamber of Commerce is throwing its support behind a controversial plan to rezone the Atomic Speedway property.

Last week, by the slimmest of margins Roane County commissioners voted to delay action on the rezoning until their January meeting to give them more time to see what impact it would have on residents.

6 News has learned that the Chamber of Commerce will send letters to county commissioners on Thursday, with seven reasons why the land should be rezoned so the owner of the speedway can sell the land to Crete Carrier for a truck maintenance facility.

The chamber letter will say that the sale would bring in an increase of $42,000 a year in taxes, that it would be a $5.4 million capital investment, would create 20 new jobs and if it stayed at the current zoning a buyer could put up a wide range of buildings with no approval or oversight by commission.

The chamber will also tell commissioners it wants Crete Carrier to feel welcome in the community.

That likely won't sit well with people living near the speedway who are worried about increased traffic, noise and pollution.

One of those residents, James Slover, said the letters may be enough to convince commissioners to approve the rezoning. But he hopes they think independently when they vote.




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