Robert Clay of Three Chimneys Farm gets award from Bluegrass Tomorrow for farmland preservation work

Robert Clay

Robert Clay, founder of Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, received the Bluegrass Legacy Award of Bluegrass Tomorrow, the farmland-preservation group he co-founded in 1989, at its 30th anniversary dinner Thursday night.

Clay accepted the award from former Three Chimneys manager Dan Rosenberg, who said "This work would be his longest, truest legacy."

Former BGT chair Alex Warren, who was senior operations vice president at Toyota, recalled that Clay and Joe Graves came to him in 1989, saying that the Thoroughbred industry "was at a low ebb" while Toyota was expanding, driving growth, and they were concerned that all or part of Calumet Farm would become a commercial or residential development. He said Clay was "the man who started this, and has been the backbone all the way through it."

Clay gave Graves credit for the idea, and recognized original BGT directors who were at the dinner, including Midway lawyer Hank Graddy.

The group inspired the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government's Purchase of Development Rights program and the Bluegrass Land Conservancy, which Clay said have protected more than 15,000 acres of Bluegrass land from development. He said leaders in the region "continue to embrace the idea of saving its cultural landscape and quality of life."

The group originally focused on seven counties, but now includes 18. "County lines in Kentucky were drawn for very outdated reasons," and have been barriers to cooperation, Clay said. "We cannot compete as 18 separate communities, but we can as a region."

The dinner at Fasig-Tipton was catered by Ouita Michel of Midway, who told the crowd of 200, "Agriculture in Kentucky is so tied to how we see ourselves in the world, and I try to put that on your plate." The entree was all-natural Kentucky Proud roasted chicken with distillers' mixed grain pilaf and roasted Brussels sprouts, with a Happy Jack's kabocha squash salad, including local lettuces with a thin slice of Broadbent country ham.

Annexed land zoned industrial; dissenter says it has to stop at some point; Stephens St. traffic concerns voiced

The tract annexed in March, effectively two tracts joined by a small strip, is now zoned industrial. Click on map to enlarge.

Issues of a growing town dominated the discussion at Monday's Midway City Council meeting.

The council approved rezoning from agricultural to industrial a 138-acre tract next to the Midway Station industrial park, part of which will be used for Lakeshore Learning Materials' expansion. Council Member Logan Nance dissented, saying "At some point we have to stop our industrial development."

Logan Nance

Nance said he supports Midway Station and the work of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, but said he made clear in his campaign for a council seat last year that he didn't support development beyond Midway Station. He said the rezoning could make it more like that a future council could extend industrial zoning across Georgetown Road. A farm is for sale there.

"I never talked to anybody who said they moved here because of industrial land," Nance said. He said earlier that he had voted against annexing the property and wanted to be consistent.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said Nance's points were "very well made," but earlier, the mayor said "Midway is a preservationist town" and always will be, but the best way to preserve it is with "wise development."

Stacy Thurman, another first-year council member, said she agreed with Vandegrift, but wants the city and EDA to fulfill the promise of public access to South Elkhorn Creek by way of the rezoned tract or adjacent property.

EDA Chair John Soper gestured to the Imperial Asphalt lot at
the east end of Midway Station, a possible creek access point.

Vandegrift said, "It's going to happen," because landowner Homer Freeny Jr., who is selling the property to EDA, has kept other promises he has made -- and there is an alternative access, through the four-acre Midway Station lot bought recently by Imperial Asphalt, which says it plans to store equipment there. EDA Chair John Soper said likewise, and showed the council possible access points on the Midway Station map on the wall of City Hall.

The rezoning creates an industrial area from Interstate 64 to the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses along the creek, the county line. (The concrete warehouses are being built under a conditional-use permit in an agricultural zone, on the presumption that whiskey is an agricultural product.) The rezoned tract is in Midway's urban-services area in the county's comprehensive plan.

Vandegrift said when the land was annexed in March, “If we don’t do this, it’s gonna get developed and we’re gonna lose all that revenue,” which EDA needs to pay off Midway Station and pay the city the $600,000 it owes on natural-gas and water lines built on the property. “There’s not gonna be enough in Midway Station to pay us back,” he said then.

The City Council approved two other ordinances, giving MetroNet a non-exclusive franchise to provide television and internet service in the city, and giving Lakeshore Learning an incentive for location of a planned warehouse. The additional net-profits tax generated by the warehouse will be reduced by one-fourth for five years after it employs 100 people.

The council also heard from Todd Graddy of Mill Road Place, who said the recent growth of Midway University has created dangerous traffic on East Stephens Street and its county extension, Weisenberger Mill Road, which will get worse when the new bridge at the mill opens in May.

"Midway's changed 180 degrees," she said, saying that walking on the thoroughfare is "taking your life in your hands."

Vandegrift said, "I do think we're going to need to construct a sidewalk, at least on the Mill Road side," and it would probably be funded in the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020. He said double yellow lines will soon be painted on newly paved Stephens Street, but white edge lines that could help slow traffic or help bicycles might have to wait, because the street width varies.

"I think we are getting there," the mayor told Graddy. "It may not be at the pace you would like." Later, he said, "The city, for 40 or 50 years, didn't invest in anything." The money for recent improvements has come from the growth in occupational-tax revenue, mainly from Midway Station.

Vandegrift said he would schedule a special council meeting to discuss late fees and cut-off policies for water customers. When Nance said Sept. 2 that the city shouldn't cut off water users who don't pay, the mayor asked the Public Works and Services Committee to discuss the issue. Council Member Bruce Southworth, the committee chair, said the panel met Friday and decided that it was "probably better" for the issue to be aired at a council meeting.

In other business, the council set trick or treat for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, extended the contract for snow removal, and approved event permits for the Christmas-season schedule of the Midway Business Association:

• A kickoff event Saturday, Nov. 9, with Ms. Claus and five to 20 booths.
• A chili cook-off on Nov. 16 , co-sponsored by Midway Renaissance, with five to 30 booths.
• "Sip 'n' Shop" Nov. 23, designed to take advantage of the new "open carry" ordinance that allows customers to take alcoholic drinks off the sales premises. MBA hopes local restaurants will have drink specials and people will "come shop and get tipsy," President Cortney Neikirk said.
• Arrival of Santa Claus via train Nov. 30, with placement of Christy Reaves's "Joy Land" model-train layout in the old bank building, perhaps with Santa there too.
• Candy Cane Stroll, similar to the Chocolate Stroll in February, on Dec. 14.

Bluegrass Tomorrow sets 30th anniversary dinner: Ouita Michel food, honor to Robert Clay of Three Chimneys

Council hears plan for 'entertainment destination center' with relaxed drink-carrying rules; donates to Homeplace

Midway could have an "entertainment destination center" with relaxed rules for consumption of alcoholic beverages in a limited area, under a proposal offered to the City Council Monday evening.

The council deferred action on the idea, but took action on other matters, giving The Homeplace at Midway $5,000 to help buy a bus for residents and adopting a resolution supporting communication about land-use planning among local governments in the Bluegrass region.

Alcohol: About a year ago, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board enacted a regulation allowing cities to buy a license for an entertainment destination center, in which customers of private licensees can go in and out of their licensed premises with alcoholic beverages as long as they stay within the center's boundaries.

The licenses had previously been available only to businesses, but are slowly being bought by cities for a fee of $2,800. Versailles recently passed the necessary ordinance for one, and Frankfort is working on one, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said.

The rationale for the license is to reduce the enforcement load on police and ABC agents, and help localities promote tourism and economic growth, said ABC Agent Ian Thurman, the husband of City Council Member Stacy Thurman. She asked him what the city's obligations would be as licensee.

He said the city would be liable for anything in the common area, inside the boundary and outside the privately licensed premises, that was not directly tied to a business, including someone with a beverage from that business.

Council Member Logan Nance asked about the possibility of drinkers being "overserved." Thurman said that has not been a problem in the two cities that have entertainment destination center licenses, Maysville and Owensboro. He said police and licensees say "It's one thing off the plate, about people walking in and out, that they don't have to worry about, and thus can focus more on over-service.

Cortney Neikirk of the Midway Business Association said allowing customers to go in and out of restaurants with alcoholic beverages "is a huge deal for all the restaurants." She said they work together to spot drunks who should be denied service.

Vandegrift asked the council to consider the proposal and put it on the agenda for the next meeting, on Aug. 5. He said he favored a provision in the Versailles ordinance, which requires beverages taken into the common area to be in a standard size and color plastic cup, for safety reasons. Neikirk said she was sure the restaurants would agree to that.

Other business: Business association coordinator Elisha Holt asked the council to pay half the cost of overtime for two police officers who would provide security and traffic help during the Midway Fall Festival. Vandegrift said "It makes perfect sense to help out with this," but the council deferred a decision to the next meeting.

The council adopted the regional planning resolution after a presentation from Rob Rumpke of Bluegrass Tomorrow, which he said is focused on protecting farmland and advocates growth along major transportation corridors. The resolution supports continuation and expansion of the Regional Land Use Partnership that has been meeting regularly since November 2017 to improve communication among governments and planners in the 18-county region.

"We're trying to build some consensus and partnership in the region" for better communication, Rumpke said. "It is in no way about creating a regional planning commission."

The resolution, supporting documents and other materials for the meeting, including a photo of the bus The Homeplace wants to buy, are downloadable as a PDF here.

The Homeplace bus would cost $25,000 and would hold 12 passengers and two wheelchairs. Representatives of the nursing and assisted-living facility said they had raised $8,000. Mary Lynn Spalding, president and CEO of Christian Care Communities, which operates the 48-bed facility, said the bus they want to buy is eight years old.

"I am 100 percent behind this idea," Vandegrift said. "I want to see a City of Midway sticker on that bus." He said the Homeplace generated more than $32,000 in occupational tax for the city last year, "and this is a one-time purchase." He noted that the newly adopted budget allocates $5,00 for donations. Council Member John Holloway moved to give that amount, and Council Member Bruce Southworth seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The council also approved an encroachment permit for Tru Blue Hemp Co. to locate in Midway Station. "They're kind of the middlemen for the farmers and the oil processors," Vandegrift said.

Vandegrift reported that he and Southworth plant to meet with Frankfort Plant Board officials next week to discuss building a pipeline that would make FPB the city's primary water supplier, as the mayor announced recently that he wanted the city to do.

He also announced that the sidewalk project is scheduled to begin Wednesday, weather permitting, and take about two weeks. When it is done, he said, "eleven new sidewalks" will replace broken ones, "including the worst of all," which he didn't specify.

Council annexes 138 acres adjoining Midway Station and warehouse tract; rezoning process will resume

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift named Debra Shockley Midway's
Citizen of the Year for her many civic contributions. See below.

By Korrie Harris and Chadwick George
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted Monday night to annex the 138-acre tract behind Midway Station, setting up its possible rezoning to industrial use.

The council also heard a proposal for new rules at the Midway Cemetery, saw the Citizen of the Year named, and received an offer for a small piece of land that could become a gateway to the city.

Annexation: City officials wanted to annex the property of Homer Michael Freeny Jr. before it was rezoned, to give the council final say in the rezoning. Otherwise, the Woodford County Fiscal Court would have had the say-so.

The council voted 5-1 to pass the annexation ordinance. Council Member Logan Nance said in an email that he voted no because "I often have members of the community tell me how much they value the agricultural land and natural beauty surrounding Midway, and fear that it will go away."

Logan Nance

Nance said he understands the perspectives of other members but "felt I would not be properly representing the people who elected me if I voted yes, since this annexation assures further industrial development beyond Midway Station."

Now the Planning Commission will hear the rezoning request by the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, which has an option on the property and owns Midway Station.

The commission was supposed to hear the request in November, but action was delayed at the request of the city so it could annex the property first.

If approved, the rezoning would create an industrial area reaching from Interstate 64 to the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses along South Elkhorn Creek, the county line. (The concrete warehouses are being built under a conditional-use permit in an agricultural zone on the presumption that whiskey is an agricultural product.)

“It finishes off what’s already laying sandwiched between two users,” Vandegrift said. Referring to the annexation, he said, “I guarantee you if we don’t do this it’s gonna get developed and we’re gonna lose all that revenue.” The land is in Midway's urban services area in the comprehensive plan.

If the land available at Midway Station sells for its estimated value, the EDA could be short of paying Midway the $600,000 it owes on natural-gas and water lines built on the property.

“The only way they’re really gonna be able to pay us back is if they can sell land,” Vandegrift said. “There’s not gonna be enough in Midway Station to pay us back.”

The annexed area is effectively two tracts joined by a small strip. For a larger version of the plat, click on it.

Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher noted that the city would soon resume paying interest on the Midway Station mortgage, now that a private developer has terminated his option on the land. Referring to Freeny and the EDA, she asked, “What kind of competition are they going to give us?”

Soper said that under the option agreement with Freeney, the EDA can’t exercise its option for any tract that is less than 40 acres. He said the largest tract he can put together in Midway Station with the existing lots together is around 25 acres.

“Fortunately, Mr. Freeney is very good to work with,” Soper said. “He understands what Midway’s goals are. He’ll work with us.” Vandegrift suggested that Freeney's lawyer come to the next meeting.

Freeny owns land next to the creek that is not being annexed. Council Member Sara Hicks asked if Freeny could “grant us some small acreage . . . where canoes and kayaks can get on the creek.”

EDA Chair John Soper said Freeny has agreed to grant a separate tract for access to the creek for canoeing and other recreational activities, with access through Midway Station or the tract being annexed. Soper said he and surveyor Tim Thompson are looking at two possible access points.

Cemetery changes: The council received a report from Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the cemetery committee, proposing changes to the ordinances regarding fees and care of plots.

Hicks proposed that 100 years after burial, if the city can’t find family members to continue upkeep, then the city would take care of that grave.

Hicks also said a $200 to $300 refundable fee could be added to the price of grave plots to guarantee that graves will be marked. Hicks said the family would have a year to place a marker and get a refund of the fee. If no marker is put down, the city would use that money to buy a small brass marker.

Council Member John Holloway said it would be simpler to raise the plot price, which at $600 is the same as in Versailles but much less than the $1,700 charged in Georgetown. He said the current fee does not cover the cost of labor for city workers who open and close graves.

Nance asked if there is a friends-of-the-cemetery organization that could take donations to help with the already unmarked graves. Hicks said the Midway Woman’s Club had such a fund, “but when they got into financial trouble, they had to use that fund to keep from shutting down.”

Vandegrift said he would ask Phil Moloney, the city attorney, to put the proposed amendments into ordinance form and send them to the committee.

Citizen of the Year: At the start of the meeting, Vandergrift gave Debra Shockley the Midway Citizen of the Year award for 2018. He read a proclamation noting her longtime civic involvement and recent contributions. “Debra took on many responsibilities in the community in 2018, including serving as president of Midway Renaissance,” he said. “Debra steered the highly successful Midsummer Nights in Midway series, and was the architect for its new street layout, which greatly improved the event."

Vandegrift also noted that Shockley “coordinated volunteers to staff Midway City Hall for each downtown event, to provide public restrooms and a visitors’ welcome center to the many attendees of Midway events.” He concluded, to applause from the audience, “Debra’s positive attitude, civic engagement, and efforts to bring people together is positively infectious to those around her.”

Gateway offered: Vandegrift gave the council a letter from Helen Rentch offering to donate a small tract at the intersection of Leestown Road and Midway Road (US 421 and 62), on the north side of a wet-weather stream, "to make the entrance to the city appealing."

The property has been mentioned as a possible site for a larger welcome sign for visitors, a trailhead for a planned trail from Lexington to Frankfort, and a permanent home for "Old Smoky," the steam engine that RJ Corman Railroad Co. has occasionally brought to Midway. "It is a logical option, since we are a railroad town," Rentch wrote. Vandegrift said the Cemetery and City Property Committee would consider the offer.

High-speed internet: Vandegrift said he met Monday with MetroNet, a company that provides high-speed internet service to homes and businesses via fiber-optic cable and thinks it can serve all or almost all of Midway. "Their lowest speed . . . is Spectrum's highest speed, basically," he said, adding that he will work on a franchise agreement with the company. He said it is in the process of doing such an agreement with Versailles and has signed a contract to serve Woodford County Schools.

March 16 event: The council approved making the St. Patrick’s Parade on March 16 a civic event. This will allow specially licensed vendors and restaurants in town to set up along the street and sell beer, wine and liquor, and allow customers to drink from open containers.

Bonds for Transy: The council approved a resolution to issue $10 million in municipal bonds for Transylvania University’s new recreation center.

Joe Lakofka, a representative of Kentucky Bond Development Corp., said in order for a bank to provide financing, the bonds need to be “bank qualified” and each Kentucky city is allowed to issue $10 million a year in bank-qualified bonds. Lexington nonprofits often use the allocations of smaller cities to get lower interest rates; there is no liability to the cites, Lakofka and Vandegrift said.

Nance asked what the city gets out of the deal. Vandegrift said, “I always looked at is as good will and kind of expanding Midway’s reach a little bit. And you never need to know when you’re going to need to call a favor in.”

At town hall, Vandegrift and other executives see a spirit of cooperation among Woodford's three governments

By Tyler Parker and Chadwick George
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

“It’s a new day in Woodford County!” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift proclaimed as he concluded his opening statement at the countywide town hall, “We Are Woodford,” in Versailles Thursday night.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift gives opening remarks at the town hall.
(Image from KCTCS video on Facebook)

The executives of the three governments in the county began the town hall by talking about their goals and ideas. Vandegrift noted that he, Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott and newly elected County Judge-Executive James Kay are all under 40 (respectively, 36, 39 and 36), and “I’m not sure that’s ever happened before.”

Vandegrift, Traugott and Kay all said the meeting and the turnout of more than 100 people showed there is a spirit of cooperation. “What a wonderful sight,” Kay said to open their presentations. Vandegrift said there is “a renaissance in the county.”

Traugott said, “You can feel it in the air between Versailles, Midway and Woodford County and the Fiscal Court. It's inspiring, and it’s a fun environment in which to govern, so I'm looking forward to the next four years.”

The only hint of competition came from Vandegrift mentioning the attendance of all six Midway City Council members, while the Versailles council and county Fiscal Court had one and two absentees, respectively. “I don’t want to brag, but Midway wins again!” he pronounced, and laughter erupted from the audience.

Vandegrift had tried to arrange a joint meeting of the three government boards when the late John Coyle was judge-executive, but said the Fiscal Court resisted the idea. He said Thursday night that the town hall “really is, I think, a great start in the next step forward about how we work together as communities and as an entire county.”

Midway and the county are partners on the Midway Station industrial park. Vandegrift said they and the county Economic Development Authority have been “very fortunate . . . to really turn around Midway Station and take it from what was once called a boondoggle into a boon to our economy.” And to the city; the mayor noted that occupational-tax collections have more than doubled since 2014, and “It’s changed everything for us.”

Farmland preservation a key topic

As the question-and-answer portion of the meeting began, it was clear that the main topic on audience members’ minds was maintaining the county’s agricultural industry.

Hampton “Hoppy” Henton, long a leader in that effort, was the first to speak. He said the county should, like Fayette County have a purchase-of-development-rights (PDR) program, in which people are paid for placing a permanent prohibition on development of their property.

Next was Deb Pekny Heckney, who said she hoped that the officials’ vision for the county "is to let it always be the unique place that it is. . . . We left Florida because development came in . . . and destroyed an incredibly beautiful part of the world."

Margaret Reece Newsome of Versailles said she has worked for some of the best people in the horse industry, and said, “People come here for horses – not for shopping.”

The most passionate comment of the evening came from Jess Bowling, who said he has lived in the county since 1966, and “I am gettin’ tired of seeing it covered with concrete. . . . Stop it or there won’t be no farming!”

Stuart Weatherford of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which hosted the meeting at its headquarters, said the county’s horse and bourbon industries are “burgeoning,” but so is “the retirement industry,” and asked if there is a program to attract retirees who want to live on 10 acres or more with their horses.

“They're pure gold,” Weatherford said of such retirees. “They don't have kids, they pay all their taxes, they don't tax the system.” He said they can’t afford to retire in the Northeast and Northwest and “are looking for places to go.”

Vandegrift said there is no such program, “but it's a great point you make.” He said taxes in the county “tend to be high,” and Midway’s property taxes were cut recently “partly to help keep and attract people on fixed incomes.”

Dan Rosenberg said he has been a resident of the county since 1978, and asked about the process of appointments for its committees and boards. Kay said he wants to update and modernize the process by putting it on www.woodfordcounty.ky.gov.

Kay welcomed anyone with questions to visit him at his office on the second floor of the courthouse. “My door is always open!” he announced. He also encouraged everyone who wants an appointment to have an email and to be responsive.

Kay noted that he had created a drug task force to fight the opioid crisis, and will start live videostreaming of Fiscal Court meetings.

Longtime community activist Lillie Cox of Versailles told the executives and the crowd, “I probably know every person in this room. . . . We want to see people working together more. We want to see councils, tourism, the courts, all working together.”

State Rep. Joe Graviss, D-Versailles, who acted as master of ceremonies, said the next town hall meeting will be a “county-fair set-up” where “any entity in the county” can have a display.

EDA delays application for industrial rezoning of 138 acres adjoining Midway Station and Brown-Forman

By Thomas Franconia
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Woodford County Economic Development Authority has postponed its application to rezone property owned by Homer Freeny Jr., north and east of Midway Station, likely for a month. The Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission had scheduled a public hearing on the application for Thursday night, Nov. 8.

The application seeks light-industrial zoning of 138 acres of agricultural property that is in the middle of commercial and industrial users. If approved, the rezoning would provide an industrial area that reaches from Interstate 64 to South Elkhorn Creek, the county line, including the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses being built in an agricultural zone under a conditional-use permit.

EDA Chair John Soper said, “We felt as if we were getting too ahead of ourselves” and “needed to resolve all issues” before moving on to the next step.

The issues addressed are sewer and water hookup locations. Soper said EDA is looking at different areas than previously planned, but needs more geographical detail in order to know the best alternative.

Over the next month, a plan should emerge to implement appropriate and efficient utility areas, and push the application through its current stage. As soon as this happens, a date will be scheduled for a public hearing on the application. The next commission meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13.

The property is not in the city limits, but the city is expected to annex it. It is just inside the urban-services boundary set in the county's recently revised comprehensive plan.

Vision Engineering map, labeled by Midway Messenger, shows in red (and a small block of green) the property that  the Midway City Council recently rezoned. The county Fiscal Court would have final say-so in rezoning the large green tract.

Democrat Liles Taylor elected magistrate by 2.2 percent of vote, on strength of support in city precinct

Liles Taylor

By Christie Netherton

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Democrat Liles Taylor won the race for fiscal court magistrate over Republican Joseph Greathouse, his next-door neighbor in Northridge Estates, in Tuesday's election.

The results were close, with Taylor winning by 32 votes, 744 to 712 – a margin of 2.2 percentage points. Greathouse won the county precinct 312 to 233, while Taylor won the larger city precinct 461-367.

“That’s how people voted, and that’s all right with me,” Greathouse, 44, said shortly after the results were posted. “I’ve served for 16 years, and I’ve loved doing it, and I will continue to serve my hometown and Woodford County.” He is a farmer and an officer in the Woodford County Fair Association.

Taylor, 31, the political coordinator for the state AFL-CIO labor federation, attributed his win to his supporters who showed up at the polls, and to his campaigning.

“I knocked on over 550 doors multiple times in town, and I burned up a lot of shoe leather,” he said. “So I feel like that was a big impact on the race.”

Taylor also ran in a contested primary this spring, which may have given him a head start. One voter he saw in the spring was Brandon DeMoss, 33, a business analyst for the state, who said he voted for him because “He’s the only one who showed up at my door and talked to me.”

Joseph Greathouse

In interviews at the polls, voters generally said personal knowledge of the candidates, or affinity with them, drove their choices in the race.

Thad Kesters, 44, a registered Republican who works for a video production company, said he voted for Greathouse because “My in-laws are farmers, and he’s a farmer.” Geologist Ray Daniel, 63, a registered Democrat, said he chose Greathouse because “I’ve known him and his family along time, and I trust the man.”

Taylor said before the election that some of his major concerns on Fiscal Court will be working on the Weisenberger Mill Bridge replacement (a state project) and flooding on Williams Lane, as well as addressing traffic issues in downtown Versailles in ways that do not increase traffic on Midway Road, US 62.

He said other priorities will be maintaining an economy that preserves the county’s roots in its agricultural community, improving Midway’s relationship with the rest of the county, and increasing transparency and accessibility of county government by live-streaming Fiscal Court meetings and creating an online portal for citizens to report and track road problems and repairs.

Taylor will succeed Linda Popp, whom he defeated in the May primary. “I think that a lot of folks are really excited about what we’re going to do to move forward in the community,” Taylor said.

Next-door neighbors, Republican Greathouse and Democrat Taylor, offer a choice in race for magistrate

By Christie Netherton

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Next-door neighbors Joseph Greathouse and Liles Taylor are running against each other for Midway-area magistrate on the Woodford County Fiscal Court in the Nov. 6 election.

Issues for Democrat Taylor and Republican Greathouse include land use, development, housing and a countywide fairness ordinance.

Joseph Greathouse

The county’s agricultural identity and potential growth are issues, as they have been for 50 years.

Greathouse said in a Sept. 7 forum that he would like to see the area continue to grow within that identity instead of urbanizing. He said Midway should be contained and not have sprawling growth, but focus on developing business that will stay in the county and contribute to the existing community.

“We have a great agricultural community in our county,” said Greathouse. “I’d love to really try to promote that through an agriculture center for grain elevator, hay distribution, cattle facilities—where small farmers can get together and group their cattle for pot loads to sell which in turn brings them more money.”

Liles Taylor

Taylor said the county needs to meet the needs of the current workforce and population, and maintain an economy rooted within the county’s agricultural identity.

Taylor said he has concerns over development of the Edgewood property on the east edge of Versailles, which is tied up in court. Taylor said he is concerned that the current hospital would become another vacant building if a new one is built in Edgewood. He said the county must exercise creativity in development and try to repurpose as much as possible so that developments do not encroach on farmland.

“I have some serious concerns about the expansion of urban service boundary and the loss of farmland that’s so vital to our community as an identity,” Taylor said. He said repurposing properties can be difficult process because “not all vacant and underutilized properties in the community are for sale.”

Greathouse said intentions for use of the land are not being made clear to the public, and there is also potential for an industrial park to be developed in the Edgewood area, which would put more traffic on Paynes Mill Road.

Greathouse said that he would like to see increased police presence and updated speed limit signs and guardrails in the First Magisterial District.

Taylor said the proposed Versailles bypass to relieve traffic in Versailles would send truck traffic to Midway Road, US 62, which is already dangerous. He said one of his priorities if elected will be to work with the county to address traffic issues in Versailles in ways that do not increase truck traffic on Midway Road.

The candidates agreed that the county needs more affordable housing.

Taylor said that it is a difficult task while trying to preserve farmland. “It’s a delicate balance to make sure we don’t just have sprawl out into the county and lose farmland just for the sake of building homes,” he said. “Unfortunately, in the current economy, most builders are building homes that are not affordable.”

Greathouse said there is a need for affordable housing in Midway, and said he was disappointed with the rezoning of Midway Station and adjacent areas for more industrial use, leaving only 11 acres for residential development. “I think there was a real golden opportunity and they let it go,” he said.

The Woodford County Fairness Coalition has been pushing the fiscal court to pass a non-discrimination ordinance similar to the one Midway passed in 2015. Taylor said he would be completely for such an ordinance, which would ban discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or familial status.

Greathouse said that no one should be discriminated against, but he does not completely agree with the public-accommodations aspect of the ordinance. He said forcing someone to unwillingly participate in a business exchange has potential to create resentment among some business owners.

District 1 has two precincts, No. 21 (city) and No. 2 (unincorporated area).
The polling place for both is Northside Elementary School, the green dot.

A longstanding concern for Midway has been its relationship with the rest of Woodford County. Greathouse said Midway is in good standing with the county, but Taylor said there is work to be done.

“I would love to accomplish an increased working relationship between the county and the city of Midway,” said Taylor. “I think we’ve made some strides in the last few years, but I do think that’s really important.”

Another issue for Taylor is transparency and accessibility. He said he would like to create a portal for citizens to make service requests that could map their location and track progress in addressing and resolving problems, most specifically road repairs. He said at the forum that he would also like to make the county budget available online and livestream fiscal court meetings.

Taylor, 31, has been political coordinator for the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions, for almost three years, based in Frankfort. He grew up south of Versailles, graduating from Woodford County High and getting a bachelor’s degree in communication at Asbury College and a master’s degree in public administration at Morehead State University. He held several positions in the administration of then-Gov. Steve Beshear.

Taylor and his wife, Robin Lowe Taylor, have two children, Julie and Bennett Taylor.

Taylor says he is an active member of the Midway Baptist Church and a member of the Versailles Kiwanis Club, where he served as president for two terms, engaging children in the community and raising scholarship funds for students. He is the Kiwanis adviser to the high school’s Key Club, a service learning program focused on teaching student members public service and leadership skills by involving them in volunteer work.

Greathouse, 44, is a fourth-generation farmer, working as manager for his family farm operation of approximately 1,000 acres, alongside his father, Tom Greathouse, uncle Steven Greathouse and two brothers, Tommy and Michael Greathouse. He is first vice president of the Woodford County Fair Association, where he works on livestock shows, a position he has held for almost seven years. He is a graduate of Woodford County High School.

Greathouse said he moved from his family farm 10 years ago after a fire. He lives in Northridge Estates with his wife, Kim Greathouse, and three children, Andrew Bruno, Jeremiah Greathouse and Emma Greathouse. He was a member of the elected board that oversees the federal Farm Service Agency's work in the county, but had to give up the post because the race for magistrate is partisan.

Both candidates were asked about running against a next-door neighbor.

Taylor said, “Running against your neighbor is an incredible opportunity for civility and community mindedness, especially in such divisive political times. I have the opportunity to say hello or even just exchange friendly waves with not only Joe, but also his wonderful family. The only drawback is that I think we both tend to kind of sneak out campaigning, out of courtesy and respect for each other. Well, that and my 4-year-old daughter can’t understand why I tell her she’s not allowed to ask Joe to vote for me.”

Greathouse said, “It does not bother me at all. We are like most neighbors and speak, but do not discuss the campaign. To me, it is not about who I am running against, it is about running to support and be a voice for my home district. No matter the outcome, we will still be neighbors.”

City funds barrel chair project; looks to rezone lands in and near Midway Station, get access to Elkhorn Creek

By Hannah Woosley

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

With hope that other governments will follow suit, the Midway City Council voted 5-1 Monday to give $1,000 to the Woodford County Barrel Project, which will make chairs from recycled bourbon barrels and display them throughout the county.

Example of a bourbon barrel chair

Dan Rosenberg, representing the project, gave the council two options: a $1,000 sponsorship to bring a chair to Midway, commission an artist to decorate the chair, display it for six weeks period then auction the chair; or a $2,000 sponsorship to bring the chair to Midway, collaborate with the artist on the design and keep the chair in Midway permanently.

Because the council chose the $1,000 sponsorship, the chair must be auctioned at the end of the display period. Rosenberg said the money received from the auction will go back into another barrel chair for Midway, or another community project.

Rosenberg said he has applied for a grant from the Woodford County Bluegrass Community Foundation to create a map to mark the areas a chair will be displayed for tourists and residents to see them all.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift asked Rosenberg if Versailles and the county government were supporting the project, and Rosenberg said he didn’t know. He said he had about 12 sponsors lined up.

Vandegrift commended Rosenberg for the idea, but called for cooperation. “I think community spirit in Midway is great, but I admit the community spirit between Versailles, Midway and the rest of the county is lacking in some ways,” he said.

The payment for the 36-inch-tall, 35-inch-wide chair is due Nov. 30, and the chair will be made and displayed next year.

Rezoning for industry: The Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission has approved an application for rezoning a little over 73 acres in Midway Station, from residential to industrial. Vandegrift said he would call a special meeting to first reading of the rezoning ordinance. He said after the meeting that the city hadn't had time to draft a rezoning ordinance.

UPDATE: The meeting has been called for noon Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Dennis Anderson, of Anderson Communities in Lexington, optioned Midway Station for residential and commercial development in 2008, but after the Great Recession hit and recovery began, the land became attractive to employers: American Howa, an auto-parts company, and Lakeshore Learning Materials, which built a distribution center.

Anderson and the Woodford County Economic Development Authority decided against residential construction on the property, and city officials have agreed.

A company that is asking to remain anonymous until a deal is possibly closed could bring 32 jobs to Midway on this land if the area is rezoned, according to Vandegrift.

Vision Engineering map, labeled by Midway Messenger, shows in red (and a small block of green) the property that is the subject of a rezoning ordinance to will get first reading Tuesday. The county will have say-so in rezoning the large green tract.

Creek access: Another rezoning, next to Midway Station, has been proposed by the EDA and landowner Homer Freeny. The 138 acres of farmland on the northern boundary of Midway Station and Georgetown Road, which is already designated as a future workplace in the county’s Comprehensive Plan and is in the urban services area, would be rezoned to light industrial.

Freeny said in a letter to the commission that in return for to access McKinney Avenue from his land, he would allow access through his land to South Elkhorn Creek for recreational purposes. There is no public access to the creek in the area. The rezoning application has been delayed pending a plan for developing the tract.

Vandegrift said, “I think we need to keep moving forward with this idea that Mr. Freeny has pushed forward, especially with its access to the creek.” He also said, “I think rezoning this to [light industrial] makes the most sense.” Unlike Midway Station, the property is outside the city limits, so the Woodford County Fiscal Court will have final say on the rezoning.

Halloween: The council approved Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. for this year’s trick-or-treat.

Fire Department: A ceremony honoring former Assistant Fire Chief Vincent Price’s service to Midway will be held Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Midway Fire Station. All are welcome to attend.

Movie crew coming: A romantic comedy by Lucky Day Studios, tentatively titled “AugustFall In Love,” will be filmed in Midway, using the city's real name, Vandegrift said. He said after the meeting that the movie will air on the Hallmark Channel and shooting is to start around Oct. 31.

Sidewalks: Vandegrift said the city will advertise this fall for residents who want their sidewalks fixed. Last year the city began a program to pay up to $1,000 for a property’s sidewalk repairs. The sidewalks will be fixed in the spring, he said.

American Farmland Trust coming here to reveal findings from analysis of farmland threatened by development

The president and CEO of the American Farmland Trust will come to Midway Saturday morning to promote his group's forthcoming report, report, “Farms Under Threat: The State of America's Farmland.”

John Piotti will join local agricultural leaders for two press conferences in Kentucky, the first on the Riddle farm at 603 Fishers Mill Rd., just across South Elkhorn Creek in Scott County. He will be accompanied by AFT board member Libby Jones of Midway and Jessie Wilder, executive director of the Bluegrass Land Conservancy.

The second press conference, between Cecilia and Rineyville in Hardin County, will include Jones and Keith Rogers, chief of staff to state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. AFT says both events will announce "the first major findings" from the report.

AFT says it is coming to Kentucky because the state has much high-quality farmland that could be the target of low-density rural development, the building of single-family homes on lots of more than one to two acres. That is indicated by this AFT map:

"Government officials and nonprofit organizations have been aware of Kentucky's loss of farmland and have taken meaningful steps to slow it," AFT says in a press release. Speakers at the press conferences "will discuss past farmland-protection successes and preview future efforts."

AFT says its full report, to be released next month, "is the most comprehensive analysis of the location, quantity and quality of U.S. farmland lost to development ever done. The report will include maps of the contiguous United States that show actual patterns of farmland loss within counties.

It is also the first study to examine the effect that low-density rural development . . . has on the loss of agricultural land nationwide."

The group argues, "Low-density rural development is particularly harmful because it burdens the land while benefiting few people, can cause problems for the remaining farmers trying to farm and may push farming to more marginal land where it will require more resources."

Sixth print edition of Midway Messenger is available

Margie Stedman, Shirley Davis and Lou Taylor enjoy the
Messenger outside the post office, with Lou's dog Molly.

The latest print edition of the Midway Messenger was distributed to locations around greater Midway this week. It mainly features stories that have appeared online, but also includes an update on the Weisenberger Mill bridge and a story about Heirloom being ranked among the top 100 U.S. restaurants on Open Table.

Stories of lasting interest include Austyn Gaffney's profile of artist Ray Papka, the city council's discussion of goals for the town, concerns of local merchants, the Midway Christian Church's environmental work, the recent study about agricultural jobs, and the denial of a request for another bed-and-breakfast.

The Messenger began publishing a print edition twice a year three years ago in response to requests from Midway citizens. Its major distribution points are City Hall, United Bank and Midway Grocery, but many other businesses also have copies. If you can't find one, email al.cross@uky.edu or download a 16-page PDF of the newspaper here.

UK study for local groups finds almost 30% of jobs in county are directly or indirectly related to agriculture

Agriculture and businesses that support it account for almost 30 percent of the jobs in Woodford County, according to a study the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment released Monday.

Cover of study report

Alison Davis of the college's Community & Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky did the study for Woodford Forward, the Pisgah Community Historic Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Performance Products of Versailles, which sells horse supplements.

The study found that Woodford County has 9,478 jobs, 1,881 of which (19.8 percent) are directly attributable to agriculture and 2,783 of which (29.4 percent) are directly or indirectly related to agriculture.

"This is a very large number," Davis said at a press conference at the UK farm near Versailles. "It is a small county, but it is a very significant number."

Davis said the figures do not include jobs from industries that serve agriculture but may serve primarily other industries, such as fencing and painting. "We try to be as conservative as possible," she said. Later, she said the study cost about $15,000.

In addition to collecting data from proprietary sources, the researchers interviewed people at 15 varied Woodford County businesses, including the Holly Hill Inn and Heirloom restaurants in Midway, asking them what makes the city or county an attractive place to do business, how the horse industry and other agriculture-related activities influence their business, and how their views of it as a place to do business would change "if the rural landscape declined significantly."

Davis summarized the answers to the last question as: "Woodford County would lose its appeal as a place to do business and a place to live; recruitment and retention of employees would become more difficult; and Woodford County would lose its distinctive identity and brand." The study adds, "While some development is wanted, careful consideration of available labor and the impact of infrastructure is needed in the planning process."

Map from study showing commuters into and out of county

Davis said a significant issue for the county's economic development is a shortage of local labor. She said the study found that 4,400 people come into the county for work. That is outweighed by the 7,070 Woodford residents who work in other counties, but the relatively large inflow helps dispel the notion that the county is just "a bedroom community," state Rep. James Kay said.

Kay was among those who offered comments and questions after Davis's presentation. Another was Hampton "Hoppy" Henton, who said "what's missing in this audience" are people from the towns and the planning office, because there needs to be discussion about development, roads and so forth.

Davis replied, alluding to the study's sponsors, "There's a pretty significant divide between the two groups, and it's hard to get them in the same room together." She said one person from CEDIK is trying to get such conversations going.

Lexington Herald-Leader reporter Greg Kocher, who recently wrote a profile of Woodford County Economic Development Authority Chair John Soper, asked why Soper wasn't intervewed. (Soper told the Midway Messenger that he wasn't invited to the event.)

Davis said the interviews were limited to businesses, but "That would be the next step. . . . I think that's a conversation that needs to occur." Earlier, she noted that interviewees called for “stronger communication between the ag and non-ag sectors.”

Council annexes, rezones for Lakeshore; OKs task force for brewery or distillery; talks trees, firefighters

Property annexed and rezoned (Tim Thompson survey; click image for larger)

The Midway City Council annexed more farmland for industry, heard plans for fire department training and pay, vented about recent tree work, and discussed attracting a brewery or distillery to the town, all at Monday night's regular meeting.

The council passed on second reading ordinances annexing 34.184 acres of the Homer M. Freeney property on the north side of Midway Station and changing its zoning from agricultural to light industrial. Lakeshore Learning Materials plans to use the property for the second phase of its distribution center, the first phase of which is under construction and promising 262 jobs. The rezoning ordinance included approval of a final development plan for the property.

Later in the meeting, Council Member John McDaniel asked if the city could put in its agreements with Lakeshore and American Howa Kentucky a requirement that they pre-treat their wastewater.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the plants will have to follow city ordinances, and Council Member Bruce Southworth, a former water-sewer superintendent, said pre-treatment is required by ordinance.

Fire department: Vandegrift said his proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will include money to train Midway firefighters as emergency medical technicians and raise the pay they get for making a run.

The mayor noted that the fire department has expanded its services to non-fire emergencies, and said having additional EMTs will help address the need for such services until Woodford County locates an ambulance station in the Midway area. He asked the Public Works and Services Committee to meet with Fire Chief Butch Armstrong and other members of the department to discuss details of the training.

UPDATE: The committee is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 at City Hall. All council and committee meetings are open to the public.

Tree treatment: Council Member Sara Hicks said Kentucky Utilities "left limbs all over my yard" when cutting trees recently, including some prickly holly branches, and asked if the council had any way to get the electric company to do better. Southworth said, "They should have cleaned all that up."

Vandegrift said he could inform KU of the council's feelings, but then Council Member Libby Warfield weighed in. She said the company had failed to reply to her complaint "as a private citizen" about sloppy tree-trimming on West Cross Street, "and it's still really a big mess over there. I think we need to really fuss about it." Vandegrift said he would draft a letter to KU.

Bourbon or beer? With the council's approval, Vandegrift appointed a task force to explore the possibility of attracting a brewery or distillery to Midway. He said some vacant buildings in the downtown area "would be perfect" for either purpose, and noted that the town has "a long history" of distilling. The last distillery closed around 1940.

Members of the task force are McDaniel, former council member Dan Roller and Steve and Julie Morgan, owners of Kentucky Honey Farms.

McDaniel said Country Boy Brewing, which recently opened a brewery in Georgetown, looked at Midway two and a half years ago. "They were wanting to do it over here but we didn't have any place that was big enough," he said.

Other business: The council's packet included a list of prioritized ideas from the council's recent special meeting, with major goals in boldface and assigned to council committees. For an abridged copy of the council packet, click here.

When Vandegrift said the city's revised website has been up for a while and has saved money by consolidating services through its information-technology vendor, Hicks suggested that the goals be added to the site.

Warfield asked what had happened to the city's bid to take the old Weisenberger Mill Bridge when it is replaced, with plans to put it in Walter Bradley Park. Vandegrift said the replacement project seems to have stalled, perhaps because of local opposition to the state's planned two-lane bridge. "As far as I know they have not been acquiring property," he said.

Warfield asked about her request for a stop sign at Cottage Grove in North Ridge Estates. Vandegrift said he thought putting up a sign might be counterproductive, because it could cause an accident, but he said he would seek an expert's opinion. When Warfield said, "It's not to get people to stop, it's to get people to slow down, Vandegrift said he could put the city's radar speed-limit sign at the intersection. "That would be helpful," Warfield replied.

Four city council candidates discuss issues at forum

By Marjorie Kirk
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Four of the seven Midway City Council candidates debated the effects of economic development on housing costs, relations with other local governments, and several other issues Monday night at a forum sponsored by Woodford Forward and Spark Versailles, a youth group interested in downtown development.

The first question, about a hiring a full-time director of economic development for Versailles, Midway and Woodford County, brought Council Member Sarah Hicks to a momentary standstill. “I really wasn’t anticipating that question,” she said, adding later, “I’m not sure we need to constantly fuel development.”

John McDaniel said, “I’m for Midway having their own people. . . . Versailles has a totally different vision,” seeking large stores, for example. He said it would be difficult for an economic developer to serve both towns. Steve Simoff, the other non-incumbent in the race, agreed. So did Council Member Libby Warfield, who said her sister held such a job when Warfield’s son was on the council, and “That had very, very, very limited success.”

After that question, most of the discussion focused on how future economic developments would affect Midway residents, beginning with the possible expansion of the urban services boundary to include the Brown-Forman warehouse property near Midway Station.

All four candidates called for caution. Simoff said the current development of Midway Station is appropriate, but “We have to be very careful when It comes to expansion.” Warfield agreed. Hicks questioned why the company would have located outside the boundary, in an agricultural zone, instead of Midway Station, which she said should be developed first.

The warehouses will be built under a conditional use permit on the idea that they will house an agricultural product, whiskey made from grains. Billy Van Pelt, CEO of Woodford Forward, explained after the forum that the boundary expansion would qualify the property to be assessed as light industrial land, a characterization that would “more accurately reflect the use of the land.”

The moderators and audience member Helen Rentch raised concerns that housing costs will increase with the development of Midway Station. McDaniel said arrangements should be made for workers at the plants.

Simoff said he was no longer sure how to define affordable housing, and the council will need to look at options for these workers. He said Anderson Communities, the developers of Midway Station, could build affordable homes.

Warfield agreed that affordable housing is hard to define, and said more rental property is needed. But she said she opposes government housing developments, letting the free market accommodate housing needs.

Hicks said improvements could be made to existing houses in Midway, which could be repurposed for affordable housing. She said she would like to see a “multi-directional approach” to reduce utility costs.

Many Midway residents complain about the amount of their water and sewer bills. The candidates were asked if they would support sale of the city’s water and sewage system, which was debated by Midway’s Water and Sewer Task Force in 2011.

Simoff said he did not support a sale because owning the system gives the city options in negotiating with Kentucky American Water Co., its wholesale water supplier. He said Midway could buy water from Versailles or Frankfort. A pipeline would be required for that.

Hicks and Warfield said they were not in favor of selling even if it meant Kentucky American would improve the water system, because the city would lose its negotiating power the company, from which it buys its water.

McDaniel said he opposed a sale “in concept,” but there are “lots of unknowns” and more information is needed.

Simoff, Warfield and Hicks said they oppose the proposed Versailles bypass, which could funnel traffic onto Midway Road, but McDaniel said the project would have to be evaluated in six years, when he said it could be revived.

The four were asked if they would support a study of merging local governments into an urban county government. Warfield said she would not even consider a study, because Midway’s small size would always put it at a disadvantage. Simoff said he would be fine with a study but against merger. McDaniel said he would be OK with a study but “It would be a no, no and no for a merger at this point.”

Hicks said she would support a study as a way to help understand issues the governments face. Asked a yes-or-no question about merger in an earlier forum, she said she opposed merger but would like to see more cooperation on projects between the governments.

The last question solicited the candidates’ thoughts on balancing the county’s rural character with residential and economic development.

McDaniel said his opinion on that wouldn’t matter, but Simoff said “There has to be a balance.” He said he does not fear the sort of expansion in Midway that is being debated in Versailles. Warfield said the traffic south of Lexington shows the need to “be as extra cautious as we can be,” and Hicks said farmland is a precious, income generating-asset and should be protected.

Council Members Steven Craig, Kaye Nita Gallagher and Bruce Southworth did not attend the forum, which was held at Midway University. Woodford Forward plans to post video of it on its site.

Lucy Bassett, part of a leading family of Thoroughbred racing, dies at 87; visitation this evening in Lexington

Lucy Gay Bassett

Lucy Gay Bassett, the owner of historic Lanark Farm on Old Frankfort Pike, died there Sunday, May 1. She was 87. Survivors include her husband of 65 years, James E."Ted" Bassett III; her brother, Dr. James G. Gay, his wife Anne and their four children.

She was the daughter of the late A. B. and Elizabeth Simms Gay of Spring Station and a 1950 graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Mass. As the owner and breeder of Lanark Farm, she bred more than 10 stakes winners, including three Grade I races and Adoration, the winner of the 2003 Breeder's Cup Distaff and earner of more than $2.1 million. She bred 21 horses who won over $100,000. According to The Blood-Horse magazine, Lanark Farm was the leading consignor of stakes winners at the Keeneland September sale in 1996-2000.

Lanark Farm was part of the original Airdrie Farm, founded by her co-ancestor, R.A. Alexander, whose home was on the property. He owned Lexington, one of the three foundation sires of Thoroughbred racing. The nearby Airdrie Stud, founded in 1972, is owned by her cousin, Elizabeth Lloyd "Libby" Jones and former Gov. Brereton Jones. For a history of the Alexander family, from the Kentucky Historical Society, click here.

Lucy Bassett was an inquisitive traveler and a wonderful ambassador for thoroughbred racing, accompanying her husband, the former president of Keeneland Race Course and Breeder's Cup Ltd., to numerous countries and racing events across the world. She was an avid and competitive golfer, winning Lexington's Idle Hour Country Club championship three times.

A major landowner, she had an intense interest in farmland in Central Kentucky. In 1975 she established the Rogers-Bassett real estate firm, which was one of the leading farm real-estate brokers for the next 20 years.

A graveside service will be held at the Lexington Cemetery Wednesday, May 4, at 12:30 p.m. Visitation will be held at Milward Funeral Directors, 159 N. Broadway, Lexington, today from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association, the Woodford Humane Society or the Trixie Foundation.

Ag-review panel votes 3-1 in favor of warehouses; fiscal court wants more in-lieu tax payments to issue bonds

UPDATE, May 4: The Board of Adjustment voted 3-1 May 2 to issue the permit. Marjorie Evans voted no and David Prewitt recused himself due to a possible conflict of interest, The Woodford Sun reports.

UPDATE, April 27: The Fiscal Court voted April 26 to issue $120 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project, with payments in lieu of taxes to be made to the county. The company also agreed to pay for new nozzles and hoses for the county fire station in Midway and up to $25,000 worth of training for firefighters.

By Aayat Ali

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Woodford County Agricultural Advisory Review Committee voted 3-1 Wednesday to recommend that the Board of Adjustment grant Brown-Forman Corp.’s request for a conditional use permit to build whiskey warehouses just north of Midway Station.

Brown-Forman fared less well the night before, as the Woodford County Fiscal Court voiced unhappiness with the company’s plans for payments in lieu of taxes on the warehouses and whiskey as part of its request for tax-exempt bonds to finance the project.

The Louisville-based distiller is seeking to build the 12 warehouses on 113 acres of Homer Michael Freeney’s 400-acre farm as an agricultural enterprise, but the main concern among the committee members was how bourbon can be considered an agricultural product.

Committee member John Wilhoit, the dissenter, expressed his concerns over the definition of agriculture and said it was “a stretch” to consider bourbon an agricultural product.  Committee member Lindy Huber shared similar concerns.

“I’ve thought about a lot of other agriculture products and how they can be interpreted in the finished product,” she said.  “If someone were to grow cotton in Woodford County and wanted to set up a textile mill, is that an agricultural product? To me, food and fiber is what agriculture is, and bourbon does not fit into that category.”

But committee member Skip Philips said if only food and fiber fell under the definition of agriculture, “Where do you fit in tobacco?”  He said that he considers bourbon and tobacco to be agricultural products, especially with no processing facility to create a distraction amid the farmland.

Steve Rushell, attorney for Brown-Forman, drew a distinction between this project and a more intrusive industrial or manufacturing project, saying it has no noise or air emissions.  He also said Brown-Forman is purchasing about 50,000 bushels of corn a year and would prefer to buy most of it in Woodford County if it meets Brown-Forman’s standards.

Lynn Martin, a tenant on Freeney’s farm, said he supported the project.  Brown-Forman said it would make arrangements for Martin to cross the access road at certain points so he can continue operating the farm.  The 113 acres would not be acquired all at once, so over the 12-year development of the warehouses, two per year, Brown-Forman would lease to Martin the land it does not use. 

Brown-Forman’s Woodford Reserve Distillery is located off McCracken Pike in Versailles and is a popular tourist site.  For the new warehouses in Midway, Brown-Forman says the barrels would be shipped to Georgetown Road over New Cut Road to U.S. 60 and down Interstate 64 to the Midway exit.  This would be shortest route between the two locations without using back roads and coming through downtown Midway.

Ruschell introduced a list of conditions of the permit.  He said they would help preserve the land and make sure the warehouses don’t become a distraction, by:

•             Using own-box lighting that will not illuminate beyond the farm

•             Using signage to make it clear that no visitors are allowed on the site

•             Limiting truck traffic to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
•             Limiting construction traffic from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday

•             Requiring outdoor activities to be conducted at least 300 feet from surrounding properties

•             Not using reflective roofs

•             Building a three-million gallon retention pond to prevent spillage into South Elkhorn Creek

“The first warehouse will be well over 1,100 feet from Georgetown Road,” Ruschell said.  “The reason it’s being located there is to make sure the pastoral setting is preserved.”

Fiscal Court meeting

On Tuesday, other Brown-Forman attorneys, Timothy Eifler and Mark Franklin of Stoll Keenon Ogden, returned to the fiscal court for more discussion of their request for $120 million in industrial revenue bonds to purchase the land and build the warehouses.

The issue for the court is the proposed PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement that the company presented.

“We negotiated with the school district and worked out a PILOT formula,” Eifler said.  “Typically these are designed to cover situations where a project is going to cause additional costs or burdens imposed on a local government, so the PILOT is there to deal with that.” Industrial revenue bonds create a property-tax exemption.

Some members of the court felt that other county functions, such as the fire department and the county government itself, deserved more of the payments.  The annual payment per barrel would be about $2.50.  The school district would receive 70.2 percent of the payments and the county would get 7.4 percent.

“The county has not raised its tax rates,” Judge-Executive John Coyle said.  “We have made cuts, we have laid off employees, we have done everything to provide everything that is needed for the citizens of Woodford County.  The school board, on the other hand, raises its tax rates to the maximum every year.”

The court deferred further discussion of the matter until its April 26 meeting.