Tonight: Cleveland Ave property renderings to be shown at city hall

By Allyson Dix, Managing Editor/Barren County Progress

Residents of Glasgow are encouraged to attend an open house on December 3 to view the plans for the city’s recent purchase of property along Cleveland Avenue.

Many are questioning and speculating about what the City plans to do with the $6.1-million purchase after seven of nine councilmembers approved the purchase in early September.

The Barren County Progress sat down with Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse and Councilman Terry Bunnell, who also chairs the Finance Committee, to gain more understanding and clarification on the project and what it means for the future of Glasgow.

Regarding the 162 acres of land, which is within the city limits, Royse said, “The opportunity will not duplicate itself in our lifetime,” adding that it is his understanding the property, which some know as the Johnson Family Farm, has had multiple attempts for purchasing throughout Glasgow’s history.

“The City of Glasgow, in its quest to grow economically, is going to have to have more availability of property for housing, property for retail, property for recreation facilities, and this is a piece of property that just makes complete sense…it’s something the City felt like we needed to invest in to spur some economic growth,” Royse said.

Bunnell agreed, saying the property is an investment transferring one asset (cash) to another asset (land).

The short-term goals for the property, Bunnell said, are the acquisition of the property itself and ensuring through various ways, what can and cannot be done on the property.

“The long-term phase we’re looking at is to spur economic development,” Bunnell said. “Economic development is residential to retail to recreation. There’s a whole host of activities this property can generate.”

“We call it the multiplier effect–the ability to acquire the property to help with the development of it for a long-term positive strategy that will gain the citizens of Glasgow the best resort for it, and that’s what we’re looking for is what will this look like in five, ten, fifteen, twenty years from now.”

The property is located on the west side of Glasgow, and Bunnell said that he and many others believe that is where the growth of Glasgow is projected to be, leaving this property an ideal place for such a project especially due to its location.

When it comes to attracting industries, which is the main task of the Barren County Economic Authority (BCEA), Bunnell said, referencing the city’s strategic plan and a BCEA-commissioned study, a lack of housing was one of the problems the city and county face.

“One of the snags that the economic authority runs into is that we don’t have the types of housing available for [an industry’s] mid- and upper-level management to attract them to this community,” Royse said.

Bunnell expects the city’s project and the economic authority’s efforts to attract industries will complement each other.

“This (Cleveland Avenue) project that we hope will come to fruition will have the pieces that was needed in that housing survey,” Bunnell said, referencing the commissioned study.

When the Glasgow City Council approved the first reading of an amendment to the current fiscal year’s budget earlier this month, it included monies transferred from the landfill sanitation account to other accounts to include the $6.1 million purchase cost and an additional $700,000 and $800,000.

The Progress inquired about the additional $1.5 million transfer. Both the mayor and Bunnell explained those monies are not specifically for development of the property itself, but instead to pay for the due diligence on the property to include things like tracking the flow of water on the property, survey costs, core drilling, etc.

“We have to make sure we’re not buying a property that’s full of graveyards and sinkholes,” Royse said. “We have to have somebody help us with that and that’s a part of the process…In government accounting, you just can’t throw it in a pile and take it as you need it, it’s got to be assigned and that’s what the $700,000 and $800,000 was.”

Bunnell added, “There’s a lot administratively involved in that we have to spend to do the due diligence to make sure when we acquire the title of the property, we know what we have, what it can be used for, and therefore, what the limitations are.”

The city isn’t planning to develop the property to the level that is shovel-ready, Royse explained, and Bunnell said the city’s due diligence in advance will give future developers who have an interest in the city’s vision to have the information at the forefront so they know things like the water flows, the boundaries, and how the property can be used for development.

Royse said having that information ahead of time is invaluable and the city is in “the best position” to do the work now.

Additionally, Royse said the money that is paying for the property and the due diligence comes from the landfill sanitation profits, not tax dollars generated.

“It’s money we’ve developed from the entity we operate for profit and we’re not paying any interest on that money,” Royse said. “We’re in the best position to get it going and set up where somebody can come in and take it to the next level.”

“We’re the catalyst, we’re the spark, the ones who have done the detail work in making sure that this is there, this is not there, this is how the land can or cannot be used,” Bunnell added. “It is our desire to have 160 acres of several uses that is good for the city and the people can take a lot of pride in that.”

Addressing rumors, the mayor said there are zero plans for any city-affiliated buildings to be built on the property. And no, the landfill will not be moved to the Cleveland Avenue property.

An ad hoc committee was set up to initiate discussions on the property prior to the purchase among several city employees including the city treasurer, engineer, planning and zoning, and a few others to hammer out details before the Finance Committee moved forward with the intent to present it to the full council. A couple of closed-door sessions were had on the matter before the purchasing approval as well, which is allowable for government entities under KRS laws when considering the purchase of property.

Both Royse and Bunnell encourage people to attend the meeting on December 3, which is set to run from 6 until 8 p.m. in the city council chambers on the second floor of Glasgow City Hall. It is anticipated three different plan renderings will be viewed and discussed.

“We want to show the public what the plans are and what the opportunity is for the city with this particular tract of real estate,” Bunnell said. “We want the citizens to hear those plans, we want comments made, questions [asked], but more importantly we would like to encourage people to see the vision for it.”

Bunnell explained that as elected officials, the city’s executive staff are laying out a vision for the project. When it comes to that area, the Kentucky Department of Transportation has already begun a project that will widen the roadways from two-lane to three-lane roadways. Bunnell said knowing this plan was already in the works was a factor that was considered in the project plans.

“We, then, as elected officials, we support our staff, we support their work, what they see, and when you look to the strategic plan and look at development whether it be around the square or other parts of Glasgow, you see how people are investing money to build for the future, and we want people to come and be a part of it.”

Bunnell said he doesn’t expect everyone to agree with 100% of it, but it’s his hope that people will learn about the project, get behind it, and help move it forward, being ambassadors for the future of Glasgow.

“It will be a hallmark for Glasgow saying we took money, we invested those monies, and we’re going to make very good things happen. Come be a part of that,” Bunnell encourages.