Woodford county OKs stockyards

[seicer]

SLC: The location proposed is in or adjacent to the industrial park (the latter only IF the Midway City Council rejects it). The industrial park is huge, encompassing a large farm that featured several barns, but it only has three tenants - after several years of... nothing. It was too large when constructed and currently, there is a LARGE glut of industrial sites in Kentucky. During the Patton era, industrial parks were constructed throughout the state, but as a Herald-Leader pointed out, most are underutilised or almost completely empty - like Midway.

Stockyards there would be a bonus to the region.

"Fiscal court OKs stockyards; issue now goes to Woodford planners

By Greg Kocher

CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU

VERSAILLES - In a unanimous 8-0 vote, Woodford Fiscal Court approved a motion to seek a text amendment in the county zoning law to include a stockyards or "agricultural marketing center" as a principal use in the I-1 light industrial zone.

[...]

The unanimous vote on the text amendment initiates a process that might allow Blue Grass Stockyards to relocate from Lexington to a proposed site off Interstate 64 near Midway.

[...]

The proposed text amendment also says that the property for the stockyards shall be located within 1 mile of the Midway interstate interchange. That apparently provides leeway to put a stockyards outside the city limits of Midway if Midway City Council should reject or ignore a text amendment recommended by the planning commission.

The site now under consideration is within the Midway city limits."

[seicer]

Midway goes on record against stockyards, cites risk to planned nursing home

[seicer]

Midway stockyards' fate nears a decision

Key --

1. The industrial park where the stockyards would be constructed at is 99% vacant. There are only three tenants using up a very small fraction of the land that was plotted and those can be easily moved.

2. The industrial park is 2 miles from the city center, and away from any residences or businesses. It is across the interstate from the town.

3. The current Lexington stockyards is small and cramped, and sorely outdated.

4. Residents worry about stream pollution and smell. The proposed facility will have a sealed concrete floor, be fully enclosed, and state-of-the-art.

Article information:: "Midway stockyards' fate nears a decision, By James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, Monday, April 2, 2007"

[seicer]

^

Stockyards can move to Midway

It was approved in a 4-2 decision that changes the zoning description to allow a stockyard in a light industry zoned parcel. The stockyards is currently the largest in the eastern United States.

Article information: "Stockyards can move to Midway, Courier-Journal, Monday, April 2, 2007"

[seicer]

Midway council OKs zone for stockyards

Key --

1. Some residents will now file a lawsuit later this week because they believe it was illegal to change the zoning map to include a stockyard.

2. The stockyards may sign the dotted line later this week as well.

3. Farmers and the development authority (who owns the nearly vacant industrial park), argue that the stockyards fit naturally into the county, since Woodford County, where Midway is located at, is the #1 agricultural county in the state. Woodford had 2005 cash receipts totally $373.3 million.

4. The stockyards will bring 200 jobs and $1.3 million annual payroll.

Article information: "Midway council OKs zone for stockyards, By Greg Kocher, CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU, Tue, Apr. 03, 2007"

[seicer]

The effort to bring an "agricultural marketing center" to Midway was...

Notes --

1. The lawsuit that was filed Wednesday in Woodford Circuit Court called the 'agricultural marketing center' a "sham" and "special legislation tailored for one buyer" -- the Blue Grass Stockyards. The 'agricultural marketing center' was made acceptable in a light-industrial zone -- ideal for a 98% empty industrial park that has no real tenants.

2. They also stated it would be a "drain to the taxpayers" -- ignoring the fact that the Midway Station industrial park has no real tenants to speak of. Oh wait, that's right, it's now called the Midway Station Commerce Park. Still hasn't helped.

3. A majority of the elected officials voted in favor of the 'agricultural marketing center', in addition to an unanimous planning and zoning commission vote, and an unanimous Economic Development Authority vote.

Article information: "The effort to bring an "agricultural marketing center" to Midway was..., By Greg Kocher, Herald-Leader [Lexington], Wed, May. 02, 2007"

[seicer]

'Boutique little community' envisioned: Developer has deal to buy Midway Station acreage

By Greg Kocher, Herald-Leader [Lexington], July 28, 2007

A Lexington developer signed a purchase agreement on July 27 to buy the remaining 172 acres in the nearly-vacant Midway Station Commerce Park for $6.5 million. The developer, Dennis Anderson, is best known for Townley Centre, a project with restaurants, retail, professional offices, and residences on Leestown Road across from the Meadowthorpe subdivision (just inside New Circle Road).

The development could contain professional office developments and residences. The announcement came nearly a month after EDA negotiations broke off with the Blue Grass Stockyards, which had wanted to relocate from Lexington to the Midway Station Park, located on the northeast corner of Interstate 64 and KY 341. At one point, the stockyards had wanted to buy the park's remaining acreage.

Since the industrial park's opening more than two years ago, the development hosts just three small businesses. Reed Utilities, AST Environmental and Lacey Excavating is open, with a fourth, Epiphany Foam Insulation, that purchased a 1.3 acre lot earlier this month.

The EDA has some under critism from elected officials, who said that it has taken too long to get any "significant number of jobs" on a site that has $4.8 million in bonded indebtedness. The development's strict "new urbanism" design guidelines had forced some potential developers to look elsewhere. But the new developer said he is not intimidated by the guidelines, as they were used in Townley Centre.

"Wouldn't do it in any other way, to be truthful," Anderson said.

Residential units at the park won't be quite as dense as Townley Centre, but there will be enough so that residents will have a place to live, work, and play.

Anderson owns an eight-acre tiangular property on the south side of Interstate 64, directly across from Midway Station, that will have a hotel, restaurant, and service station.

[Rural King]

^ Really great development. Sounds like the city was ready to get rid of its bond debt and found a developer willing to take the park off their hands and fully develop it within the design regulations they had set up. I don't think they could have found a better outcome.

[seicer]

I see no problems with the developer. Driving through Townley Centre, it is an example of new urbanism development (although there are a few issues I would like to see resolved). A traditional 'downtown' district with storefronts abutting the sidewalk, a center pavilion, localized stores (i.e. dry cleaners and barber shops), traditionally-styled houses, alleys, narrow streets, etc. If this is what is planned, albeit on a less dense scale (Townley is really quite cramped), it would be very nice.