The Metropolitan Planning Commission voted 11-4 Thursday to move forward on the proposed Midway Business Park in East Knox County.
The park is to be located off the Midway exit of Interstate 40, and could bring several thousand jobs to the area. But neighbors worry about the environmental impact the business park may have.
An attorney who spoke at Thursday's meeting in the City County Building on behalf of neighbors who are against the park said the area has a concentration of sink holes and that very little has been done to protect well water that could be affected by the development.
Legal representation for the park, however, said the project has been thoroughly examined and that safety is a priority for everyone involved.
"We've done everything we can to professionally put forth the best product that we can to the benefit of the citizens of Knox County," said Todd Napier of Development Corporation of Knox County.
A lawsuit seeking to change how the proposed site is zoned in an effort to stop the project from moving forward is still pending.
Thursday's MPC vote was on the proposal itself, not what the site is zoned for.