KY city rejects 3-county business park in Scott County. Park is dead, official says
A three-county regional business park in Scott County appears to be dead Tuesday after one of the cities involved in the project rejected the proposal.
The Georgetown City Council voted 6-2 Monday to reject an inter-local agreement creating an authority to oversee a three-county business park on 500-acres in Scott County.
A spokesperson for the regional effort said without Georgetown’s support, the project is now off the table.
According to a statement issued Tuesday: “The regional group worked for over a year to collaborate and bring in over $6M (million) in state matching funds and more in federal dollars for a regional business park that would have created 1,400 direct jobs and generated substantial tax revenue.
“Although there ultimately was not enough support from the respective legislative bodies to move the project forward, the partners want to express sincere gratitude to the many community members, local officials and business leaders who got behind the initiative,” according to a written statement.
The original inter-local agreement to create the business park included the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Madison and Scott counties, Georgetown, Berea and Richmond.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted Thursday to approve $2.1 million to go toward the creation of the business park. Each county was set to contribute $4 million toward its creation. It’s not clear what will happen to Lexington’s $2.1 million.
The counties were set to apply for state funding through the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to make up the balance of funding needed to purchase the land for the park.
The Richmond City Commission also recently voted to reject the proposal.
Multiple Georgetown council members said Tuesday evening the only people who appeared to support the new park were people directly involved in economic development or real estate agents.
“I got a call today around 3:30 p.m from someone who supports it,” said Councilwoman Willow Hambrick. That person was the only one who supported it, she said.
“That tells me there is not enough community buy in.”
Councilman Greg Hampton said he had concerns about the proposed profit sharing agreement. Under the agreement, Lexington would receive 33.3% of the taxes generated from the new park. Georgetown and Scott County would receive a little more than 50%, Hampton said.
Yet, the city and Scott County would have to pay for infrastructure improvements to support the park, including increased police and fire protection. It would be Scott County residents that would have to deal with the increased traffic in the area.
“Why would we not want to adjust some of the percentages so we would receive even more of the revenue?” Hampton said.
Councilwoman Millie Butcher Conway said she was concerned about the potential location — on 500 acres of farmland near both the Scott County and Great Crossing high schools. It’s also on the banks of the Elkhorn Creek.
“It’s just with all the other schools that are around it and all the construction and the businesses around it, it’s just too much,” Butcher Conway said.
Georgetown residents have raised concerns about the location of the new regional park since earlier this year and fought the inclusion of the 500-acre farm in the Georgetown-Scott County Comprehensive Plan, which guides development and determines where different types of businesses can go..
Several encouraged the council on Tuesday to vote against the agreement.
More than 800 people have joined a Facebook group against the creation of the business park, several said Tuesday.
“This is about the people of Georgetown and Scott County,” said Polly Singer.
It’s the people of Scott and Georgetown who will have to deal with the traffic and other infrastructure needs of the business park, not Lexington or the people in Madison County.
Mayor Burney Jenkins said he supported the effort, saying Georgetown had to create more diverse revenue streams.
“Looking down the road, this would be good for going forward in getting revenue. The cost of services go up; we have to figure out a way to make it work,” Jenkins said.
Still, others said Georgetown is largely dependent on business taxes -- employee withholding or occupational taxes and business profit taxes. Moreover, the city has no appetite for raising taxes so it must create more jobs to pay for services, said Councilman Mark Showalter, who is not running for re-election.
“We have to diversify our economy,” Showalter said. “If this doesn’t pass, what’s the plan?”
A zone change has been filed to change the zoning for the potential 500-acre park, but a hearing on that zone change has not been set.
Showalter and Connie Tackett voted in favor of the inter-local agreement and creation of the business park. Council members Todd Stone, Alonzo Allen, Butcher Conway, Sonja Wilkins Brent, Hambrick and Hampton voted no.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 9:28 AM.
