Drone flight over Midway shows the town's old and new

By Dalton Stokes, University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
(Click on arrows button, to left of Vimeo logo, to view in full-screen mode)

Vandegrift asks state to widen Georgetown Road; City Council discusses residential rental issues

By Garrett Burton
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift wants the state to widen Georgetown Road (KY 341) from the Interstate 64 interchange to the Scott County line due to the increase in traffic due to growth at Midway Station.

In Monday’s City Council meeting, Vandegrift referred to a letter he sent Thursday to Department of Highways District 7 Coordinator Natalia McMillan.

With the expansion of Lakeshore Learning Materials on part of 138 acres that the council recently annexed and zoned for industry, he wrote, “I believe there will need to be adjustments made including but not limited to widening of the road, lowering the speed limit, and any and all measures to protect human life.”

At the meeting, Vandegrift said road improvements were discussed in 2016 when Midway first landed Lakeshore, which is expanding and adding 100 jobs to the 250 or so it already has.

“We haven’t seen any accidents yet, but 341 is narrow, and there’s a lot of blind spots on 341, especially if you’re coming in from Scott County,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to see that be a situation where we wish something would have been done before someone gets hurt.”

In the meeting, the council approved two measures relating to Lakeshore. The first gives Vandegrift authority to sign closing documents on the new Lakeshore expansion; the other changes an erroneous date in a previous resolution.

Residential rentals: In what Vandegrift calls the “final thoughts” segment of the meeting, Council Member Logan Nance said Midway residents had reached out to him about opening their property as an Airbnb or Vrbo (vacation rentals by owners). Currently, residents need permission from the Board of Adjustments and must live full time in the residence.

Nance asked if there was a way to make this process easier for people. Vandegrift replied, “I think it’s completely a planning and zoning matter at this point.”

Council Members John Holloway and Kaye Nita Gallagher said they know of houses being rented out that don’t have the owners living in them. There’s people renting them out to the college kids” at Midway University, Gallagher said. Vandegrift said they may have a permit, or approval of the Board of Adjustments.

To Nance’s point, Vandegrift said “I’ve heard more concern over unregulated Airbnb’s than I have heard people wishing we had more of them.” He recommended that anyone interested in this topic make a stop at the planning and zoning office at the courthouse in Versailles and talk to Planning Director Pattie Wilson or Kim O’Reel, the administrative assistant.

Pumpkin contest: Pastor Mary Weese of Midway Presbyterian Church asked council members to participate in a pumpkin carving contest to be held on the steps of the church on Halloween to “help raise awareness for the community garden.” She said there will be prizes for children and adults.

Vandegrift laughed as he said it will be the first time that he has carved a pumpkin.

The display of the pumpkins will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 31 (Halloween night). The categories to be judged are scariest. most creative, and Halloween spirit.

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

Latest Midway Messenger print edition has stories that haven't appeared online yet; available at many locations

The Summer 2019 print edition of the Midway Messenger has been distributed to dozens of locations in the Midway area. The front page has a feature on chef-entrepreneur Ouita Michel and a comprehensive update on what's been going on at and near the Midway Station industrial park.

Unlike most print editions of the Messenger, this one has articles that have not yet appeared online. They include the Michel feature, a report on state awards to thoroughbred breeders in the Midway area, and one on a study that former Messenger intern Sarah Ladd did on mass communication in Midway. The Midway Station story is a compilation of material that has been reported and not reported.

The edition was printed at the Georgetown News-Graphic with support from Wesbanco. It is downloadable as a compressed 2.3 megabyte PDF, here. If you need a copy or copies of the print edition and can't find one, email al.cross@uky.edu.

Recommendations for affordable housing may include accessory dwelling units, apartments above businesses

Rich Schein, Midway's member on the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission, points to a zoning
map of Midway as Lori Garkovich and City Council Members Logan Nance, left, and Stacy Thurman, right, look on.

Midway has been asked to join Versailles in asking local planning officials to allow accessory dwelling units in residential areas and apartments in commercial zones, and make other changes in the county's zoning ordinance to encourage more affordable housing.

The city's Affordable Housing Committee heard the request Monday from Lori Garkovich, a member of its counterpart committee in Versailles that has already developed recommendations. She said a joint request from both towns to the countywide Planning Commission would "have more traction."

"I think if we went together, it would be more persuasive, and it would be easier to sell to the public," said Garkovich, a retired University of Kentucky sociology professor who has long been active in land-use issues in Woodford County.

The Versailles group also wants other measures, such as a community land trust to lease land to homebuyers, but those will take more time and effort, and allowing accessory dwelling units "was something they could act on right away," Garkovich told the Midway group.

ADUs can be part of a home or detached from it, and can be occupied by renters, adult children, other family members, caregivers and so on. "We had a vision there would be a mix of private homes, townhomes and apartments," to give people a wide range of choices and flexibility when their living arrangements need to change, Garkovich said.

City Council Member Stacy Thurman, chair of the committee, noted that there are many details to work out, such as whether detached units should resemble the main house and whether off-street parking should be required. Before the meeting, Thurman distributed an article from a land-use planner about accessory dwellings, which can be downloaded here.

"I certainly don't think accessory dwelling units are the answer to affordable housing in Midway altogether, but it's a good start," Thurman said. She asked Garkovich what the downside of allowing such units would be.

Garkovich said the usual issue is that people next door to an accessory unit fear it will reduce their property's value, but added that she didn't think that would be a problem in Midway because it has such as small supply of available housing. She said the Versailles plan calls for "quality standards consistent with the neighborhood."

Thurman said, "Most of the people who would be against something like this would be people who don't want Midway to grow at all."

The lack of affordable housing has been a concern in Midway for several years, but gained more currency with the addition of about 300 jobs, and more to come, at the Midway Station industrial Park. Committee member Dan Rosenberg said the city could ask Midway Station employers to provide financial support to affordable-housing efforts.

Garkovich said Midway has a choice: have people commute to the town, work here and leave their payroll taxes behind, or capture their consumer spending and reduce traffic by creating housing for them in the area. "You need economic growth, but how do you want it to happen?"

She said some towns, when expanding their urban service areas for development, require "that a certain inventory of workforce housing" be included in developments in the expanded area.

Rich Schein, a UK geography professor who is the city's representative on the Planning Commission, said the fundamental question facing those who want more affordable housing is how local governments can encourage property sales by owners who aren't now willing to sell.

Garkovich said the two committees might want to have a meeting for property owners, developers, bankers and other citizens to discuss the issue.

The Affordable Housing Committee's next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at City Hall. Its meetings and all meetings of committees created by the City Council are open to the public.

This story replaces the meeting notice posted this morning.

Council mulls bids on old sewage-treatment plant, now a fish farm; OKs cemetery ordinance, event permits

Aquaculturist Steve Mims fed his largemouth bass after the City Council meeting Monday evening. (Photo by Al Cross)

The Midway City Council faced a tough choice Monday evening: Accept the high bid offered to buy the city's old wastewater-treatment plant, by a contractor who would use the property for storage? Or a much lower bid from the retired aquaculture professor who has been leasing it for use as a fish farm?

After a closed session so they could talk about the still-secret appraisal of the property, council members punted, tabling the issue. They could consider the bids again, or advertise for new bids.

The high bid of $20,000 came from Buchanan Contracting, a Mount Sterling company that the Woodford County Economic Development Authority recently hired to do maintenance and reconstruction work on the Midway Station industrial park.

The other bid, $13,100, came from Advancing Sustainable Aquaculture Performance for Fish, a company owned by retired Kentucky State University professor Steve Mims, who has leased the facility for the last four years.

Council Member John Holloway said both bids were below the appraised value of the property, but after Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the appraisal shouldn't be discussed publicly, the council met privately for six minutes in a back room to discuss the bids. That is allowable under an exception to the state Open Meetings Act, which allows closed sessions "when publicity would be likely to affect the value" of the property being sold.

After the closed session, Vandegrift said the discussion was about what the property is worth, and Council Member Bruce Southworth moved to table the issue. The council agreed unanimously.

Before the closed session, Mims told the council that he started the small-scale fish farm because most fish supplied to Kentucky come from out of state and the state needs local suppliers. He also is promoting a hybrid bass and paddlefish, sometimes called spoonbills, whose eggs are a competitor to caviar, the eggs of sturgeon. He said ASAP Fish one of only two paddlefish hatcheries in the nation.

Sims said he got grants for a liner that stopped leaks in the plant's 160,000-gallon tank, has put more than $20,000 into the plant's pumps, plumbing and electrical wiring; and has received informal approval to take water from Lee Branch instead of the new treatment plant across Leestown Road.

Under its lease, ASAP Fish pays the city 5 percent of its gross revenue. Vandegrift said after the meeting that last year's payment was about $800, indicating revenues of $16,000. Sims acknowledged that he has a small operation, and said he has tried to focus on the "highest-value species."

"I'd really like to keep it," Mims said. "I bid what I thought I could, based on how much money I've put into the place." He said he would continue educational programs for students and businesses, and presented letters from state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and county extension agent Adam Probst endorsing his efforts to buy the property. No one from Buchanan Contracting spoke.

Holloway said the property "looks really unkempt and awful." Mims said city workers dumped some old equipment on the property, and "I didn't feel like it was my job to have the place manicured."

On another type of bid issue, the council accepted a bid of $30,856 from Paramount Roofing of Frankfort to put a new roof on the maintenance building at the Midway Cemetery. Vandegrift said the delayed project is to be completed by June 30.

Wickey Pole Buildings of Owingsville had a slightly lower bid of $30,500, but Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the Cemetery and City Property Committee, said Paramount would remove the old roof, install insulation and batting, and remove trash, work that under the Wickey bid would have to be done by city employees.

Budget workshop: Vandegrift announced the was calling a special council meeting for 5:30 p.m. Thursday to hold a workshop on the budget he has proposed for the fiscal year beginning July 1. He said the council might take action on line items.

Cemetery ordinance passed: The council enacted the new cemetery ordinance, which raises fees slightly to help restore the city's two historically African American cemeteries. Vandegrift said the increases still leave Midway competitive with Versailles and cheaper than Lexington.

Midway Station zoning: The council held first reading of an ordinance to rezone the remaining professional-office and residential property in Midway Station to industrial or commercial.

Events: The council approved a permit allowing closure of the north side of East Main Street for the Midsummer Nights in Midway series to be held by Midway Renaissance, and for the block party planned this Saturday by the Midway Business Association.

MBA President Cortney Neikirk said the event would have nine booths, including two food booths that won't compete with local restaurants. She said retailers in Midway are "struggling" due to competition from online vendors, so "We're trying to get as many people to see what we've got her in town."

The summer events have been held on Fridays, but this year the July event will be on a Saturday, July 27, because a historic steam engine will be spending the day in town as part of its trip from the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven to the railyard in Ravenna, where it will be restored by the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp.

July 27 will be promoted as Heritage Day, running from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The locomotive, ona flatbed railcar, is scheduled to be in Midway from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for viewing and tours. Debra Shockley of Renaissance said 300 to 400 steam-engine enthusiasts are expected, and the 1950s model of Midway, which is being restored, will be unveiled that day.

Vandegrift, who expressed concern at the last meeting about "event fatigue," suggested that Renaissance work with the MBA on its plan for pop-up markets featuring local artists and crafters. Shockley said she would discuss that with Neikirk, who by that time had left the meeting.

Woman's Club building: After some discussion, the council approved a quitclaim deed disavowing any interest in the Midway Woman's Club building at 230 S. Gratz St., to clear the way for the club to sell it. The woman who donated the house to the club in 1952 for use as a "community house" said that if the club disbanded or failed to maintain the property, it would become city property.

Club members said they are spending too much on maintenance, limiting their charitable activities. Their attorney, Jim Rouse, said proceeds of the sale would go to those activities, under the oversight of Woodford Circuit Court.

Citizen complaint: At the start of the meeting, Vandegrift had a lively discussion with Dickie Jones, who wanted more police focus on speeders in front of his home at 6832 Midway Road, and a sidewalk on the road. He said a radar speed sign at the site hadn't slowed down traffic, but Vandegrift said that was not so. The mayor said any sidewalk would have to be built by the state, since the road is US 62.

Combs also asked if the city was going to have a committee to deal with blighted property. Vandegrift replied, "Yes, when we pass the blighted-property ordinance," something the mayor has been trying to do for almost two years. The full discussion can be seen on the Midway Government Streaming Meetings page on Facebook.

EDA lines up 3 property sales, hires help to clean up Midway Station, seeks more highway-business zoning

A mapping projection showed the new, 4-acre lot to be created.

Midway Station, once a failure as an industrial park, appears to be turning into a success after all.

Directors of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, which owns the tract north of Interstate 64, approved three tentative sales of property at their meeting Friday and took steps to make the property more attractive to prospects.

"We've only had ownership of this property for six weeks, and we've got three options," departing director William Downey remarked. The EDA has always owned the property, but until Feb. 7 the unsold parcels were optioned to Lexington developer Dennis Anderson in return for his payment of interest on the property's mortgages, giving him effective control of it.

Anderson had hoped to make a commercial and residential development of Midway Station, but the renewed interest of industries in the property and nearby tracts turned it back into an industrial park, and he terminated his option.

"Since he's left, the phone has been ringing off the hook with folks who want to come to Midway Station," Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told a homeowners' meeting in Northridge Estates tonight.

At Friday's EDA meeting, directors authorized Chair John Soper to grant options to:

• Dan Price, $208,000 for 3.33 acres for use as a marine sales and service facility facing the interstate, with 10 initial jobs and 15 by the second year, pending rezoning. Soper said Planning and Zoning Administrator Pattie Wilson "was as instrumental" in the sale as anyone. "She presents the way we can do business in Woodford County that is really user-friendly."
• Barnhill Chimney Co. of Lexington, which plans to pay $162,300 for 2.49 acres for a facility to manufacture chimney caps. Soper said only four other companies in the nation make the caps, and Barnhill plans to have seven to 10 employees at opening, 10 to 15 in a year and could have 30 in five years. Soper said EDA had another prospect for the lot but "We gotta go with someone who's willing to do a contract, especially with the possibility of jobs."
• Imperial Asphalt of Frankfort, $130,000 for 4 acres in a lot to be created at the sharp turn at the east end of McKinney Avenue, in an area not originally platted for development. Soper said the company has excavation equipment that it can use to reshape the area. Because the property does not have a price that has to be met in order to get a mortgage release for banks to which EDA is indebted, "This four acres would go into operating cash," Soper said, "which really gives us some breathing room." He said Imperial Asphalt owner Seth Christian will use the property for equipment storage, will have seven employees there, and will not manufacture asphalt at the location. "He said he'd been watching this development since he was in high school and wants to be part of it," Soper said.

None of the deals required any price negotiation, Soper said, but one buyer hesitated, saying the property looked "blighted" because of high grass, weeds, trash and broken concrete.

Soper said that once Vandegrift explained the history of Midway Station, the buyer agreed to take an option. (EDA is using the option route to make the sales dependent on zoning and other land-use approvals, and tests to show that the tracts are feasible for the planned developments.)

Soper said the "deferred maintenance" at the property needs action so it will "look like it's seriously somebody trying to sell property and standing behind what they sell." He said HMB Engineers, which designed the development, had lined up Buchanan Contracting of Mount Sterling to do the work.

"Ordinarily, I would like to bid this stuff, but quite honestly, I don't think we have the time," Soper said. "Time is of the essence." He said the City of Midway had agreed to to the initial mowing, and would be reimbursed. "I really appreciate what Midway's doing for us," he said. Buchanan's original quote included $3,500 for initial mowing and trimming and $2,500 for monthly mowing; those were deducted from the deal, leaving a price of $11,970.

Director Paul Schreffler asked if crews from the Woodford County Jail could do some of the work, and Soper said he would look into that. Then the directors approved a motion for Buchanan Contracting to do the work within 45 days.

The directors also approved a motion to seek zone changes that would eliminate any property zones for professional offices, which had been seen as a buffer between industries and commercial businesses, zoned B-5 for highway business. "The inquiries we're getting are going to be B-5 or light industry," Soper said.

The changes would add more B-5 lots, which could help attract a hotel. Anderson has a lot on the other side of the interstate, in the Green Gables development, that has long been platted for a hotel, but Vandegrift said a year ago that Anderson had priced it too high to sell. Anderson disputed that.

After meeting for almost an hour and a half in the Fiscal Court room of the county courthouse, the directors went into a closed session to discuss property sales. They allowed Maria Bohanan, whom the City of Versailles had appointed to fill Downey's position when he departs, to attend.

EDA and city start 'new era' at Midway Station, consider how to maximize value, pay off debt and still create jobs

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift spoke to the Woodford County Economic Development Authority board Friday.

By Collin Kruse and Kristi Fitzgerald

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

               Now that developer Dennis Anderson no longer has an option on the Midway Station industrial park, the City of Midway and the Woodford County Economic Development Authority are wrestling with the development's future.

               The board of the EDA, which owns the land, discussed the future of the property, and its debt, at its monthly meeting on Feb. 22 in Versailles. It was the board's first meeting since Anderson terminated his option Feb. 7.

               Anderson had paid the interest on the property's mortgage in return for the option, which he exercised on several lots, selling them. Beginning July 1, the city and county will each have to start paying interest of $3,000 per month on the $2.477 million debt remaining on the land. 

               It may be hard for the EDA to be particular about land sales when the need to get money to pay debts is tying them down.

               EDA Chair John Soper suggested that the agency might be faced with the prospect of selling lots to employers who would create few jobs, as happened in the first phase of development many years ago. He said that would conflict with the original, long-term goal of the project.
               “Our goal is to produce long-term, re-occurring revenue, not just land sales, but the debt gets in your way,” Soper said.

               The treasurer’s report at the meeting said the land is valued at $2.967 million, based on sales amounts subtracted from the approximately $5 million that Anderson would have paid EDA if he had exercised his option. If that figure is accurate, the land is worth half a million dollars more than is owed on it, but EDA also has to spend money on legal work, engineering and maintenance.  

The board saw a potential redesign of the property in Midway Station
Station under and adjacent to the two high-voltage electric lines.

             If the land available in Midway Station sells for its estimated value, then the EDA could be short of paying the city the $600,000 it owes it on natural-gas and water lines built to the property. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift asked if Midway could receive a share of funds from future land sales after an unspecified “grace period.”

               Soper said, “We’ve got some immediate maintenance issues we need to deal with over there,” and money for that could come from getting additional lots from land at the east end of the property that has not been platted for development. He said that would require approval of banks that hold the debt.

               Vandegrift also showed interest in this section of Midway Station, suggesting that if access can be granted to the South Elkhorn Creek, the more rugged portion of the land that was left undeveloped could be used for recreational purposes.

               The land along the creek is owned by Homer Michael Freeny Jr., owner of 138 acres next to Midway Station that the city is annexing. He has expressed a desire to make that area public property for access to the creek for canoeing and other activities, with access through Midway Station and/or the tract being annexed.

               The mayor thanked Soper and the EDA board members for their "hard work," said Midway Station had entered "a new era" and it would be better for them, the city and county to finish developing the property than for an outside developer to do it: “It is important that we as a community develop it rather than outside interests.”

               The board made two definitive moves with the intention of getting the most value out of the land. First, it passed a motion to request rezoning of about nine acres, the last residential zone in Midway Station, into industrial.
               Some areas will remain zoned for professional offices. Planning Director Pattie Wilson said that would create “a good transition” from the commercial section in the front of Midway Station to industrial section in the back. Soper said the change would make Midway Station’s land more marketable because buyers won’t have to worry about the rezoning process.

               The board also agreed to have lawyer Bill Moore take a closer look at the deeds for tracts that have been sold to identify any provisions for maintenance of the industrial park, such as a property owners' association. “Somebody’s got to have some kind of responsibility for maintaining the common area,” board member Gene Hornback said.

               A strip of high voltage electric lines that run through Midway Station was also a topic at the meeting. Original plans were to have two-story commercial buildings accompanied by parking under the lines, but Soper has been working on a redesign to maximize the property value. “What you end up with on both sides of those lines is not much buildable land,” he said. “We’ve got to deal with this in some form or fashion.”

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.

Print edition of the Messenger highlights the election

The free print edition of the Midway Messenger has been distributed to locations in the area. It includes stories about the races for mayor and Fiscal Court magistrate, profiles of the City Council candidates, a story about the Chamber of Commerce forum for city candidates; recent stories about City Council actions and changes in and near Midway Station; and stories of lasting interest, such as an update on retail business on Main Street and a look back at Midway University's transition to coeducational. The printer mistakenly printed a preliminary version, so we reprinted and restocked all the locations with the updated version, and distributed to additional locations. The Messenger normally appears in print twice a year; this is the first and only edition for 2018, due to the election and the lack of a Midway-centered journalism class at the University of Kentucky this spring. Get a copy!

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.

EDA wants Station's residential zone to go industrial; developer wants to keep options open, issues statement

Dennis Anderson (2014 photo)

This story has been updated. See below.

With a big deadline a year and a half away, officials of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority and Midway Station developer Dennis Anderson of Lexington aren't seeing exactly eye to eye.

Anderson has maintained an option on the property by paying its monthly debt service, which EDA Chair John Soper says is down to $6,300 a month from $11,000 a month, thanks to recent sales for industrial and commercial development. The remaining debt on the property, $2.638 million, is owed jointly by the county and the City of Midway.

The county and city developed the property as an industrial park, but after many years of little activity, optioned it to Anderson for residential and commercial development in 2008. The Great Recession hit, thwarting development, and as the recovery accelerated, the property and adjoining tracts became attractive to major employers: first American Howa, an auto-parts company, and then Lakeshore Learning Materials, which built a huge distribution center.

Soper said Friday, after the EDA board failed to get a quorum for its monthly meeting, that it would like to rezone as industrial the 35 or so acres now zoned for housing, because the zoning, and the prospective need for rezoning, is a disincentive for industrial buyers. "In our experience, if it's not zoned, the consultants who advise these businesses move on down the road," Soper said.

"Dennis ... thinks that if he gets a serious user, he can get it zoned, and he probably can, but our experience, and what we've been told by the state, is that a lot of 'em won't even talk to you a second time if it's not already zoned," Soper said, adding later, "He wants to maintain his flexibility, and that's his right." Rezoning by the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission would need Anderson's approval because he has a legally defined interest in the property.

Anderson said in a telephone interview Tuesday, "It's general practice in the industry that you wait until you have a prospect before you go and rezone a property. We've had good success with the Planning Commission … and feel like they would support it if the opportunity arose."

Anderson said he has "worked a dozen different leads" on parcels of up to 5 acres in the current residential zone that could be sold for industry, but hasn't found one "with the ability to write a check . . . and that’s the second least expensive land in Central Kentucky” for industrial development. He said he didn't know why.

"Industrial development isn’t what I do, and when they put Lakeshore in there, I asked them to to look at how it was going to impact the rest of the land," Anderson said, adding that he has been ''laying back to see" if Lakeshore would generate demand for nearby residential development from workers at the plant.

The plant is supposed to have a payroll of 262 in a year and a half to two years. In December 2019, a year and a half from now, Anderson's option on the property will expire, and the bond issue used to buy and develop the property will come due. If Anderson exercises the option, his purchase price would be $2.936 million, about $300,000 more than the outstanding debt on the property.

Hotel prospects discussed

In the interviews, Anderson and Soper also discussed prospects for a hotel in the Green Gables development Anderson owns across Interstate 64 from Midway Station. Anderson said he is hoping that the industrial development will increase demand for a hotel.

Anderson said he has showed the property to three hotel groups, two of whom he has done business with. Speaking of one, he said, "I'm quoting land in Lexington at twice the price, and he still wants Lexington."

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift has said Anderson wants too much for the land. Soper said Anderson told him that the price is $350,000 per acre, not the originally quoted price of $450,000 an acre. The lot platted for a hotel is 1.9 acres.

Anderson said the owners of the Holiday Inn Express nearing completion in Versailles are among the prospects for Midway, but "They want to make sure Versailles is up and producing before they take another step." 

Soper said that if the Versailles hotel does well, it will improve the prospect for one in Midway, which is hurt by the proximity of hotels on the interstate in Frankfort. He said he recently showed the property to Wyndham Hotels and a company that operates hotels under several brand names, and "Both of them think that it's close."

Anderson issues statement

Following publication of this story, Dennis Anderson issued the following statement:

STATEMENT FROM ANDERSON COMMUNITIES

Anderson Communities continues to work with the City of Midway, Woodford County and the Economic Development Authority. Since 2008, Anderson Communities has held an option on the Midway Station property. We have paid 100% of the debt service on a pre-existing bond issue through the Recession. The combined total of debt service that has been paid by Anderson Communities and land purchases exceeds $1.3 million, along with more than $2 million in land purchases. Our payments have taken that burden off the tax payers of Midway and Woodford County.

We have fully cooperated with the Economic Development Authority in locating new industries in Midway Station. The jury is still out on whether other industrial prospects will want to locate there, or whether the property should be developed as a mixed use residential and commercial area to complement the industry. There can be arguments made for both approaches. If new prospects come forward, we are confident that Anderson Communities and all local agencies involved can quickly respond to such a request.

It is important to understand, however, that public speculation about land pricing makes it more difficult to market property. Land pricing depends on a number of factors including proposed use, location within the development, size of the tract, special needs of the buyer, and a myriad of other issues. We work diligently to find a price point that works for all parties. Public discussion of potential selling prices can quickly kill a deal. That is why state law allows public agencies to discuss real estate deals in closed session.

We have found that our pricing policy has never been a deterrent for serious prospects in Midway Station. To be effective, however, that discussion must be confidential. We deal with each prospect diligently, fairly and honestly.

Preservationists say Ky. lost half a million acres of farmland to low-density homebuilding in 20 years

John Piotti of the American Farmland Trust and Jessie Wilder of the
Bluegrass Land Conservancy spoke at the press conference Saturday.

The president of the nation's leading farmland-preservation group came to the Midway area Saturday to announce that America has been losing twice as much farmland than the group thought, and Kentucky has been a leader in the main cause of it: low-density residential development.

"This is a place where it's worth putting in all the effort we can to stem the tide of farmland loss, John Piotti of the American Farmland Trust said in a press conference on the farm of Bob and Laura Riddle of Midway, on South Elkhorn Creek and Fishers Mill Road in Scott County.

Piotti said a study that AFT will issue in May will show that the nation is Kentucky lost 791,000 acres of farmland from 1992 to 2012, and 499,000 acres of that, or 61 percent, was from building of single-family homes on lots of two to 10 acres. He said the national figure was 41 percent, so "Kentucky stands out."

In Woodford County, 30 acres is the minimum size for a residential lot in the area in and around Midway that is zoned as prime agricultural land. That "has gone a long way toward protecting some of the farmland in the area," said Jessie Wilder, executive director of the Bluegrass Land Conservancy.

Fayette County has a 40-acre minimum, but Scott County's minimum is only 5 acres, Wilder said, and it is under much more pressure from development than Woodford. She said Scott County once had a program to purchase development rights, as Fayette County does, but has not funded it.

Another way to preserve farmland is to put under a conservation easement, which becomes a covenant running with the land that protects it from development. Wilder said the land conservancy holds conservation easements on the Riddle farm and 125 others covering 27,000 acres in the Bluegrass, including 5,000 to 7,000 acres in Scott and Woodford counties -- mostly in Woodford, along Old Frankfort Pike and Midway Road.

Wilder said loss of farmland was once easy to see, with development of high-density subdivisions, but large residential lots may look like farmland. "It looks different, and lot like farmland is being eaten up, but it is," she said. "It's a threat to our way of life," not just farming but tourism, which in the Bluegrass is tied to farming because the landscape is "the reason people want to come back."

Prohibiting development on farmland keeps land prices down, making it easier for young people to get into farming, Piotti 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."

Housing no longer planned for Midway Station; mayor says he doesn't want 'sprawling' housing developments

Midway Station is likely to remain an industrial and commercial development, with no residential zoning. That was the main news as Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift reviewed recent developments and looked ahead with the City Council Monday evening.

Vandegrift said developer Dennis Anderson, who has an option to buy much of Midway Station, "is very interested" in changing 61 acres that are zoned residential back to industrial. He said they agree on the need for that, especially with the truck traffic to and from the Lakeshore Learning Materials distribution center that began shipments this month.

"It never really was a good idea out there," with industrial property so close to residential, Vandegrift said.

Midway Station was a failed industrial park in 2008 when the council and the Woodford County Economic Development Authority adopted Anderson's plan to turn it into a commercial and residential development. That plan was delayed by the Great Recession, then was changed by the advent of industry on and near the property and the state's expected disapproval of Anderson's initial tax-increment financing plan to redevelop the property.

Housing: If the 61-acre tract is once again zoned industrial, Vandegrift said, there will be no plans for housing in Midway. He said housing developments need to be affordable for the young and old, have a "small footprint" and "fit with Midway. . . . We do not need another sprawling neighborhood with a big footprint."

Specifically, the mayor said there should be no residential development south of Leestown Road, other than "infill" of small, undeveloped tracts. That could run contrary to the plans of David Thomas Phillips, who owns 31 acres between Leestown Road and the Northridge Estates subdivision. In 2010 Phillips filed a lawsuit seeking a judgment seeking to invalidate development restrictions that were supposedly placed on the property at the time Northridge was developed. The lawsuit has not proceeded largely because Phillips has not pressed it, apparently die to legal complications.

Immediately before his Leestown Road comment, Vandegrift said, "We should be thinking about some guidelines to keep our growth in check and keep it sustainable." Speaking more generally, he said the city needs to look for small industries, not just "whales." Lakeshore has promised to employ 262 people to earn incentives from the city, county and state.

Annexation: The mayor noted that EDA decided last week to exercise its option on 104 acres of the Homer Freeney farm on Georgetown Road, between Lakeshore and the new Brown-Forman Corp. warehouses. "It makes perfect sense for us to annex that. We can create more good jobs and more revenue, and we're not going to encroach on good farmland," he said. "The growth is not going to last much longer. . . . I think we've got to take advantage of it while it's here."

Council Member Sarah Hicks asked if the city should annex the warehouse property, which goes all the way to the Scott County line at South Elkhorn Creek. "I see no reason to," Vandegrift said. "It's a fire hazard," and the county gets the property-tax revenue on the aging whiskey.

The mayor said Anderson has closed on a lot that will be the site of a service station and convenience store on Georgetown Road, and has notified the city of his intent to close on five more acres fronting the road.

On other development topics, Vandegrift said the downtown area is "flourishing" and "is as near to full occupancy as it has been in a long time," the two major exceptions being a building that is blighted and another that the owner won't rent. He said a "longstanding" business that he declined to name wants to move to downtown Midway from downtown Lexington.

Other business: Hicks reported that a plan for trails in Woodford, Franklin and Owen counties will be rolled out at the Kentucky Association of Counties office in Frankfort on Nov. 29 at 11:30 a.m. She said she has worked for two years on the issue and the top priority for Woodford County is a trail from Frankfort to Midway, which she hopes could be extended to Weisenberger Mill.

In the only major business at the meeting, the council agreed to sell the city's 34-year-old fire truck to the town of Berry in Harrison County for $1. Vandegrift said, half-jokingly, "Berry is a much smaller city than us, and as the big guy, we've got to look out for the little fellows."

Versailles asks Midway to pay $173,674 a year for police, up from $100K; committee meets 2:30 Wed.

UPDATE: The committee will meet at 2:30 Wednesday at City Hall for further discussion of the issue.

By Tre Lyerly

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Versailles wants Midway to pay 73.7 percent more for police services next year.

Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott and Police Chief James Fugate proposed a revision of the cities’ police contract to the Midway City Council’s Public Works and Services Committee at a meeting Thursday. If approved, the new contract would bring Midway’s $100,000 payment up by another $73,674.

The number came as a surprise to the committee, who expected the revised costs to be in the $150,000 range. Council Member Bruce Southworth, chair of the committee, called the proposal “a hard sell,” saying that he liked the idea of paying $150,000 “a lot better.”

Council Member John McDaniel listened as committee chair Bruce
Southworth, center, talked with Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott.

Traugott told the committee that Midway could not form an independent police force for less than their presented cost, and that relying on the state police “would be a big disappointment” due to the possibility of increased response times.

Southworth agreed, but still felt that the proposed cost would be “a lot for Midway.” He and City Clerk Phyllis Hudson said the city should receive improved service from the police department in return for the higher costs.

“I can’t promise you they’ll be 73 percent better,” Traugott said.

Hudson said after the Versailles officials left, “I could see it if it was a gradual increase per year.” The new contract would go into effect July 1, 2018. It could be for four years or longer.

Versailles’ police budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year is $3.86 million, not including state incentives for salaries. Traugott multiplied this by 4.5 percent to get the $173,674 figure presented to the committee.

Traugott didn’t say why he used that percentage, calling it “semi-arbitrary,” but noted that it was more favorable to Midway than using the city’s share of Woodford County’s population, 7 percent, which would be “overkill;” or 9.5 percent, the share of service calls made to the Midway area between Jan. 1 and Aug. 30.

Later in the meeting, Southworth noted that County Judge-Executive John “Bear” Coyle wanted to require Midway to pay a lot more in the three-way deal among the governments, to help reduce the county’s costs.

“It’s a heck of a lot better than $400,000 … four and a half percent is not bad,” he said.

The other committee member present, Council Member John McDaniel, said, “It’s going to be hard to sell that amount of money, but proportionally . . .” He didn’t finish the thought, but said he thought the percentage would be a bit higher. McDaniel is a former Midway and Versailles police officer.

Beyond the financial part of the contract, the committee considered a renegotiation of the shifts officers would work while providing service to Midway, a possibility Traugott and Fugate were open to.

The current contract calls for the police department to provide “daily, around-the-clock” service to Midway, which it currently fulfills by using two eight-hour shifts and having officers on call for the remaining eight hours.

Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher, who also serves on the committee, didn’t arrive in time for the committee’s discussions with Traugott and Fugate, but supported the revision of the shift terms if it would result in more comprehensive service for the city.

A view of the lot from above its side fence on Cross Street

Land-use dispute: The committee also discussed a land-use issue at 120 S. Winter Street, continuing a conversation opened during the full council meeting on Sept. 4 about a gravel parking area laid from the lot’s backyard to Cross Street without the city’s permission.

The owner of the lot, Emmajo Pulley Gray, applied for an encroachment permit to allow access to and from Cross Street, but only after the work was completed and she got a letter from the city attorney asking her to.

Gray has not appeared before the council to explain the rationale for the work, but her neighbor Charles Logan speculated at the previous meeting that installation of blacktop on the lot could result in damage to his property from water runoff.

Council Member Steve Simoff, who was present at Thursday’s meeting but does not serve on the committee, passed along heard additional concerns from Gray’s neighbors, and expressed a need on the council’s part to identify what her plans for the lot were before taking further action.

“Are [they] going to have a business operating out of there, or is it just going to be a place for storage?” Simoff asked.

The committee agreed to recommend that the council deny Gray’s encroachment request.

Lights on North Gratz: Southworth and McDaniel briefly discussed the committee’s plans to contact Kentucky Utilities about the cost of installing new streetlights on North Gratz Street.

The lights would be placed to help navigation to and from Walter Bradley Park, which saw a host of improvements last year, as well as the businesses in the area, including the new Brown Barrel restaurant and Darlin Jean’s Apple Cobbler Café.

Southworth asked Deputy Clark Sonya Conner to check with Kentucky Utilities about the cost of lights.

Council committee to consider higher-cost police contract, encroachment issue, lights for North Gratz

The Public Works and Services Committee of the Midway City Council will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at City Hall to discuss changes in the city's police contract with the City of Versailles and other issues.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said after Monday evening's council meeting that Versailles wants Midway to pay $150,000 a year for police protection, up from $100,000.

The committee will also discuss an encroachment permit for the lot at 120 S. Winter St. to have rear access to East Cross Street, an issue discussed at the Sept. 5 council meeting; street lights on North Gratz Street, which leads to the improved section of Walter Bradley Park and where businesses recently opened; and damage to the roadway on North Winter Street.

All council and committee meetings are open to the public.