Peaks Mill area is precious to Franklin Co. Don’t let bourbon warehouses destroy it.

There are few communities that compare to Peaks Mill when it comes to nature at its best, and you do not have to travel far to get there. The rolling hills, the wildlife, breathtaking views and the Elkhorn Creek are a few spectacular elements that make up Peaks Mill. Just take the Peaks Mill Road (Route 1900) which travels from the top of Cedar Cove Hill on 127 North, through the most beautiful country you will ever experience, to the National Fish Hatchery near Indian Gap. Your peaceful journey through a community that has only seen minor changes in over a hundred years begins at the fairly new Peaks Mill Elementary School.

This school is close to the intersection of US 127N and Peaks Mill Road. I live a stone’s throw from this intersection and mornings and afternoons are extremely dangerous with parents lined up on Peaks Mill Road to drop off or pick up their children. Impatient drivers dart out of Peaks Mill Road in front of cars and trucks (tractor trailers in some cases) traveling on US 127. This intersection of US 127 and Peaks Mill Road is in a curve and the speed limit is 55.

Just past the school all you will see for many miles is farmland, stone fences, crane, hawk, deer, large lot homes and folks hauling canoe and kayaks. You will also see portions of Elkhorn Creek that meander alonsgside Peaks Mill Road. The Elkhorn Creek is one of the longest at just over 93 miles if you begin at North Elkhorn Creek. People from all over the United States come to explore the Elkhorn Creek for the beautiful scenery and mild rapids. As a boy, I was able to turn over any large rock in the creek and find crawfish or go-devils. Not so many aquatic creatures any more but the scenery is still like no other.

In my almost 60 years in Franklin County nothing I can think of has ever threatened Peaks Mill and the Elkhorn Creek quite like the Buffalo Trace initiative to construct whiskey warehouses in the Peaks Mill area. The traffic issue alone scares me to think of large tractor trailer trucks turning onto and traveling on Peaks Mill Road. A major road upgrade would be required from the school to the entrance(s) of these whiskey warehouses. No matter what you do to the roadway, it doesn’t help the moms and dads trying to drop off and pick up their kids from school. Safety is a big concern, but so is all the pollution that comes with these whiskey warehouses. Air, noise, and water pollution are just a few issues these warehouses bring with them.

I moved once because Buffalo Trace bought up property behind my house on Cedar Cove Hill to construct a minimum of 13 massive warehouses. Obviously I didn’t move far enough away because they are doing it again. I assume I am not the only one in the county who has asked why RED warehouses? It is bad enough that these monster, big block, 5-7 story football field buildings are in our back yard but to paint them that hideous RED adds to the sight/view pollution. Why not brown or green or grey to attempt some sort of compromise to ruining our view shed? This is not being a considerate neighbor.

The noise the fans make from these huge structures keeps my friend up all night long, every night. He was my neighbor before I moved off Cedar Cove Hill and he wishes he had left before the Buffalo Trace (BT) Invasion. Now his property value has dropped so much he is afraid he can’t move. According to my friend, he complained about the noise, and BT representatives showed up only to acknowledge the fan noise. No follow up since then and the noise continues.

So far we have safety concerns, air pollution, view pollution and noise pollution. The water pollution is imminent too but Buffalo Trace will tell you water pollution isn’t an issue because they have berms for secondary containment. These berms aren’t much good in a tornado which is very possible in this area. The whiskey mold on houses, patio furniture, and basically anything you have outside is also carried to the creek. Any run off from existing warehouse locations enters the Kentucky River. Run off from the proposed location will run into the Elkhorn Creek.

The negative far outweighs the positive for this Peaks Mill Whiskey Warehouse Industrial Park initiative. With all the outcry from the community you would think BT would look elsewhere for their next industrial park, possibly an existing industrial park. If BT had assisted this community with desperate needs like a new civic center or indoor aquatic park I could see how they would be bold enough to ask for such a damaging request but they haven’t done much more than providing jobs and paying taxes like any other company does. I appreciate the jobs BT creates and I know many employees, who are great people! Not constructing warehouses in Peaks Mill will not cost one of these employees their job.

It appears the 1,000 or so signatures on the petition against Buffalo Trace constructing warehouses in Peaks Mill have had some impact. BT attorney has dropped the initiative to have the property rezoned and now plans on changing the zoning ordinance itself, to allow warehouses in all agriculture zoned districts. So not only is Peaks Mill in danger, but other farmland in Franklin County is subject to all the pollutions listed in this editorial.

Please contact the Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission and its sub-committee, The Zoning Ordinance Update Committee, Fiscal Court Planning Staff, Magistrates, and the County Judge/Executive to voice your support for the Save Peaks Mill movement. This year is election year, so put them on the spot asking if they support the citizens of Franklin County or do they support industry ruining our rural areas. There is room in our industrial parks for industry. Don’t take away our rare, beautiful natural treasures.

Joe Sanderson is a lifelong resident of Franklin County and is a former planning commissioner.