All hands on deck! Please attend Wednesday’s meeting of the Clark County Fiscal Court at 9:30 a.m. at the Clark County Courthouse, 34 South Main Street, Winchester. Submit a letter to the Editor. Then call and/or write the County Commissioners.
According to the front page Lexington Herald-Leader article, the Allen Company still believes it can get that new Winchester quarry under a residential neighborhood in Clark County. And it looks like the Commission is about to approve it, despite the uproar against and the planning and zoning’s recommendation of 6-1 against!
Am I the only one who smells a rat?
First of all, what city in a nation committed to protecting individual private property rights would approve a QUARRY under a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood? The Allen Company bought a property zoned Agriculture. If they didn’t intend to farm it, why did they buy it? What made them assume it would be even remotely possible to change a property’s zoning from A1 Agriculture (the least intrusive zoning) to I2 Heavy Industrial (the most intrusive)?
If this zoning change is approved, this farmland can be used for ANYTHING AT ALL: junk yard, trash heap, quarry, open pit mine, utility… anything at all.
If it’s that easy, why have a comprehensive plan?
Here’s what mystifies me, having been a real estate broker for 20 years and a property owner most of my life: if you were buying a property that you intended to use for something other than its current zoning allowed, wouldn’t you have asked around first?
If they didn’t, what fools. But they are clearly not fools, nor is their attorney. So what were they promised and by whom? Surely they had an idea they would win this battle before they plunked down top dollar for this property. If they didn’t, it will be the first time in my 20 years of brokering real estate to see such a gamble.
At last month’s first reading, with a wave of their hands, the 3-person commission voted “Yea” to change the zoning. This after the slew of meetings last fall when the Allen Company was turned down again and again. Who are these commissioners and what’s in this for them?
And what changed from last fall when they all voted “Nay”?
This is a serious breach of public trust. If the Clark County “public servants” get away with this, it will happen in my quiet neighborhood next. We need to stand up for these tax payers. Please write a letter to the editor, call these commissioners and tell them what you think.
UPDATE: The three commissioners all voted “yay” and the zone change passed. This ain’t over.
Nice work SallyOh! thanks for supporting our neighborhood and Kentucky farmland – which I hear is going away at an alarming rate. Looks like the media is on it and are taking notice that Ky is leading the way nationally in the destruction of its farms.
Definely smells like at rat with lots of money who has befriended the current commissioners on the FC. There is a rush to get this matter taken care of before Clark County fiscal court has new members in 2015. How can they not follow the regulations that should be guiding their decision. Folks we voted for this group to represent the little people. They have chosen not to run for this position again. I assume they will be shopping in another county or late at night. If you feel their decision was wrong to accept the zoning change come to the court house at 8 AM
Wednesday July 9th.
I was wondering about the “election state” of the commissioners. I thought they were all “lame ducks” but wasn’t sure. Stinky.