Former mayor calls for hearing on Midway Station; council to take up controversial issue Monday

This week's edition of The Woodford Sun included a letter from former Midway Mayor Becky Moore asking that the City Council hold a public hearing on the proposed zone change of the Midway Station industrial park to a residential and commercial development. The Sun does not put letters or news stories on its Web site, so here is the meat of Moore's letter:

"Midway Station has the potential to double the commercial and residential size of our town. The requested zone change will rezone existing industrial land to permit the construction of over 600 new residential units. Our mayor and six council members are faced with the daunting task of deciding on behalf od the 1,620 residents of Midway whether the proposed zone change is what is best for Midway now and in the future. The law allows the mayor and city council to decide this sisue without holding a public hearing or gathering any additional information if the mayor and council choose to do so.

"Because this issue is vitally important to our community, I urge citizens to contact our mayor and city council members; call City Hall at 846-4413 or attend the city council meeting on Aug. 18 to request that they hold a public hearing before making a decision on this issue. We deserve the opportunity to be heard, and to have our comments reflected in the official record so that they can be considered by our elected representatives in making this important decision.

"I will be dismayed and disappointed if the friends and neighbors that we have elected to represent us proceed without soliciting our input. We are their constituents, we elected them to represent us, and for them to truly represent us, they need to know what we think."

Early this year, some of the six council members spoke favorably of the idea of converting the largely failed industrial park, which is costing the city about $94,000 a year in debt service, with a development proposed by Anderson Communities of Lexington. See past blog items and MidwayMessenger.org for details. The council meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.