Tag: Jessamine

Along the US68 Mixed Use Trail (Old 68) Jessamine County, Kentucky

Last week, Fayette Circuit Court Judge James Ishmael ruled against Burgess Carey and his zipline operation in rural Fayette County Boone Creek. The injunctive relief won by the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government closed Boone Creek Outdoors. Carey’s Boone Creek Outdoors had offered the ziplines, canopy tours, and fly fishing.

These tourist attractions were located on private property owned by Mr. Carey, but were ruled to be outside the scope of a conditional use permit issued to him by the LFUCG in 2000.

During the few months which Boone Creek was open, it was routinely filled with visitors. It was a unique attraction in the region and one which had the promise of great success.

And it is the kind of success that we, in Jessamine County, must embrace.

As I’ve noted here before, Jessamine County has abundant natural beauty and a rich history.

These resources must be harnessed into an economic engine, rather than cast aside in favor of old-fashioned ideas and stale economics.

To some extent, our community has begun to recognize the advantages of adventure tourism.

The Kentucky River Blueway Trail includes the 42 miles along Jessamine County’s southern border, providing kayaking, fishing, canoeing, and other forms of recreation to visitors.

But I believe we could — and should — go further. Imagine a complete network of bicycle paths throughout the county. These could be placed alongside existing roads or along the paths of either active or decommissioned rail lines. Specialized paths like Lexington’s Legacy Trail could also be added to the bicycle network where necessary.

Couple this with a bounty of mountain biking options. Include opportunities for hiking, ziplines, canopy tours, and other ideas – the sky is the limit!

By embracing adventure tourism, Jessamine County could realign itself as a major destination in central Kentucky. Look south to Rockcastle County, where the small community of Livingston has re-emerged like a phoenix. Once thriving prior to the installation of Interstate 75, this small town deteriorated to almost nothing. But the past few years, a committed citizenry has brought to Livingston a renaissance. In June, it was designated Kentucky’s second Trail Town.

With such a designation, increases in locally-owned restaurants, lodgings, shops, and trailsupport businesses naturally ensue. It is the kind of industry that supports both historic and landscape preservation. And it is the kind of industry that does not require the construction of an unnecessary, expensive interstate connector.

For better or worse, we do not have the same zoning restrictions here that exist in Lexington.

We do, however, have the natural and historic resources to make our community an exciting destination.

Imagine turning Jessamine County into Lexington’s backyard — a playground where the people of central Kentucky come to relax and have fun.

This kind of idea requires commitment of private property owners, entrepreneurship, and a shared vision among political leaders.

But I suggest that this way forward is a positive one which will enable Jessamine County to grow economically while retaining its unique character.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.

Jessamine Co. Courthouse – Nicholasville, Ky.

On July 22, the Nicholasville Planning Commission voted 8-1 to deny an application by the Nicholasville Historic Preservation Commission which sought to apply a zoning overlay over certain properties in Nicholasville’s downtown core which includes residential, commercial, and religious structures.

It was the second hearing on the matter as the June hearing saw the motion tabled.

Opponents to the zoning overlay outnumbered the proponents at each hearing, though each side was passionate. Opponents derided the potential loss of their property rights. Several property owners sought to “opt out” of the proposed zone.

From this preservationist’s perspective, however, the zoning overlay did not extend far enough. The boundaries should have included more properties that have historic integrity and contribute to the fabric of our county seat. (Disclosure: I spoke in favor of the zoning overlay at the June hearing.) Both meetings were contentious.

Additionally, the restrictions on the properties in the proposed overlay did not go far enough in preserving architectural features and components.

Even so, the proposed overlay was a good step forward toward establishing a meaningful layer of protection over Nicholasville’s historic center.

The zoning restrictions, if enacted, would have required a review by a commission of appointed persons for issues related to demolition, structural additions, or property relocation.

Despite the hyperbole, the zoning overlay would not have required approval for a change of paint color or the installation of “giant styrofoam pyramids” in a front yard.

The ordinance would have, however, been a small but necessary step to prevent future gaping holes in our streetscape like the one on the eastern side of the 100 block of South Main Street.

But in the end, a handful of procedural issues may have damaged this attempt at a zoning overlay beyond repair.

But that doesn’t mean it is down for the count. As was best said in a letter to the editor in support of the overlay, “downtown Nicholasville is unique to Kentucky and worth preserving.”

It is because of this uniqueness that I would expect to see another push for the zoning overlay in the future.

When it does, I hope that it will be successful and that it will include a larger footprint as well as more restrictions geared toward retaining the architectural heart of our town.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.

Source: SMcGarnigle (flickr)

Nicholasville’s chicken keeping ordinance has been ruled too vague and a rewrite of the law is coming.

As it stands, “the keeping of any yard or pen for … chickens … in the city in such manner as to become offensive to any person residing in the vicinity, or annoying to the public, shall constitute a nuisance and is hereby prohibited.”

OK, I can see how this may be lacking in specifics.

So, too, does Jeremy Porter. He is the programs director of Seedleaf and an organizer with CLUCK!

Lexington. Porter owns a flock of 13 hens at his home in Lexington’s Castlewood neighborhood. Through both Seedleaf and CLUCK!, he helps educate others about urban farming and creating über-local food options.

Nothing is more local than your own backyard.

That is why urban chicken keeping is a good idea — it provides fresh eggs to families and educational opportunities for sustainability for our children (and adults, too). Done right, chicken keeping can help improve neighborliness if the practice is done responsibly.

Neighborliness and responsibility. Those are two words which Porter focused on and the concepts are inseparable. Porter describes the ordinances addressing chicken keeping as being “good neighbor” ordinances.

Lexington ordinances prohibit the dying of chickens, regulate the number of baby chicks which may be sold in a transaction, and focus on the noise, odor, disturbance, and general care of fowl.

Lexington’s laws provide for the animal’s safety and health, an immediate concern for anyone who owns and cares for their pets. A well-maintained coop, appropriately sized for the number of birds, will not create odor issues. And not keeping roosters generally resolves any noise issues.

Porter believes that “if people can be good neighbors by being responsible chicken keepers, then they don’t have to worry about disturbing their neighbors.” It all sort of goes back to being a good neighbor and following the Golden Rule.

In Nicholasville, neighbors and even annoyed members of the public can complain to law enforcement under the existing chicken ordinance. Fortunately, this vague ordinance hasn’t become burdensome for those charged with enforcing it.

But as we examine a replacement scheme, we should be careful in the process. Nashville, Tenn. recently overhauled its laws establishing a series of ordinances that is too restrictive; overly complicated, their ordinances would seem ill-suite for a town of Nicholasville’s size.

Frankfort is contemplating a change to loosen its ordinances, currently viewed as being too restrictive for urban chicken keepers.

It would appear that Lexington’s set of ordinances would be a good template for Nicholasville as they establish an enforcement mechanism while allowing vibrant, healthy chicken keeping at home.

Perhaps adoption of Lexington’s system of incrementally increasing fines for violations of the chicken keeping ordinances would be appropriate for Lexington. From the perspective of Porter and other responsible urban chicken farmers, Lexington’s ordinances are very workable.

Ultimately, it is critical is that we do not eliminate the opportunity to have a backyard chicken.

The production of food at-home is a terrific educational tool for the family and community, improves our land and the environment while improving our diets and fighting obesity.

Responsible chicken farming accomplishes these goals and should not be prohibited.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.

“If you build it, they will come.”

The old adage was to apply to Nicholasville’s streetscape revitalization project.

The streetscape project, which began in September 2010, affected Main Street from Oak to Chestnut streets. It was completed two years after it began, having exceeded both the budget and the timeline.

The empty storefronts, however, remain. We’d hoped these would be filled in a post-streetscape downtown revitalization.

A gem was Main & Maple, a coffee shop and café located in the old Hemphill Pharmacy building. A decent meal and a good cup of coffee made this a destination. A few nights a week, live music would beckon a crowd to the business. The location and character gave Nicholasvillians a gathering place. Though it experienced other issues (all businesses do, especially in the overall economic climate of the day), it was the streetscape improvement project that seemed to sound the death knell for Main & Maple.

Today, that storefront remains vacant.

In fact, it would seem that too much of our community’s “heart” bears either a “for rent” or a “for sale” sign.

What happened to “if you build it, they will come?”

Finish reading my column from last week’s Jessamine Journal by clicking here.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.

Cave at Marble Creek – Jessamine Co., Ky.

According to I-75Connector.com, the project connecting Nicholasville’s proposed eastern bypass to I-75 in Madison County would improve connectivity, travel time and vehicle safety, reduce traffic congestion, spur economic growth, improve truck access, and the nebulous addition to every post-9/11 project need list, homeland security safeguards.

Admittedly, this is an impressive list. Let’s build it, right?

Well, not so fast.

Remember the old lesson, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”?

One would think from reading it that every ill in Jessamine County would be resolved if only the connector were built. As is often the case, “the devil is in the details.”

You may recall that last week, I wrote of the historic and natural beauty in the area around Marble Creek in northern Jessamine County.

The area is a target for preservationists seeking to protect the land and her resources from the proposed I-75 connector.

As someone fascinated by history and as an advocate of preservation, I am swayed by these arguments alone.

The benefits of the I-75 connector simply do not outweigh the potential losses to our natural and historic resources.

But what about the economic costs? Let’s look at the numbers.

The proposed I-75 connector is projected to cost about $400 million.

The proposed path is approximately 13 miles in length; average the sum to about $30 million per mile.

By comparison, the project that widened 6 miles of U.S. 68 in Jessamine County cost about $5 million per mile.

It would seem that the fiscally responsible decision is to improve our existing roadways rather than build new ones.

(Improvements to U.S. 27 and U.S. 150, already begun in several places, would connect Nicholasville to I-75 while simultaneously improving access for Harrodsburg, Lancaster, Danville, and other central Kentucky communities — talk about bang for your buck).

Improving our existing roadways is critical.

Our national infrastructure is aging and, in many places, is in poor condition. Eleven percent of bridges across the country are “structurally deficient.” Our collective memory recalls the collapse of interstate bridges in recent years in both Minnesota and Washington.

While Kentucky fares better than the national average (9.5 percent of bridges are structurally deficient), our state’s transportation focus should be on improving our existing pathways and not creating new ones (and with them, increased maintenance expense).

I have heard it said — even by some of our elected leaders — that they want to leave behind the connector as a “legacy” for the children and grandchildren.

I believe that this sentiment, while well-intended, may be short-sighted.

So what kind kind of legacy do we want to leave behind?

One option simply cannot be on the table: do nothing and leave our national infrastructure to continue its deterioration.

A second option is to leave behind a link to the interstate in the form of a new road which cuts through our precious, irreplaceable countryside and leaves behind a significant debt.

The final option is to improve and maintain our existing roadways while preserving that which makes our community unique.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.