I'm writing in to advocate 'in part' for the Cardinal Place development, and to encourage the Planning Commission to suggest changes. I agree with the Staff assessment of the development's public benefits. Too many of the benefits listed appear to be inaccessible by the public, and I'm also skeptical of the number of parking spots that the development has proposed. I would like to see a portion of the development set aside for Section 8 housing. That said, I think we must always weigh the more intangible public benefits of higher density against the much more tangible benefits of community spaces. On balance, I think that Cardinal Place would be beneficial to Knoxville by increasing the amount of housing available to Knoxville residents, and by increasing the density of the city, and I encourage the Planning Commission to find a way to work with the developers to find a compromise.
