Scott County landfill owner appeals ruling that expansion requires rezoning

Waste Services of the Bluegrass has appealed a decision that it must apply for a zoning change to expand the Central Kentucky Landfill in Scott County.

The appeal came last week, after a Jan. 18 letter by Joe Kane, executive director of the Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission, in which Kane stated that Waste Services, which owns the landfill, would need to apply for the zoning change.

Waste Services is asking for permission to increase the waste disposal area in the landfill from 46.8 acres to about 75.5 acres. Waste Services also wants to increase the boundary surrounding the landfill from 102.8 acres to 602 acres.

The landfill is currently zoned for agricultural use.

In the letter dated Jan. 18, Kane told Waste Services that the landfill would need to be rezoned because it will require extraction and processing of clay, an activity not commonly accepted for agricultural use. Kane said the area for the proposed landfill expansion will need to be rezoned to light industrial with a conditional use permit or to heavy industrial. Those two categories allow for extraction and landfills.

In the appeal letter, Jon Woodall, counsel for Waste Services, said Kane was influenced by public outcry and political pressure. Woodall said none of the operations on the landfill will occur on the boundary area, and it will be used only for agricultural use.

The Scott County Board of Adjustment will decide whether to uphold or reverse Kane’s ruling at 5 p.m. March 2.

If the ruling is upheld, Waste Services could apply for a zone change or take the matter to Scott County circuit court.

If the ruling is reversed, the decision would be sent to the state Division of Waste Management, which must approve or deny a permit to expand the landfill.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Scott County landfill owner appeals ruling that expansion requires rezoning."