A handful of people turned out for the second public meeting to discuss updated and new chapters proposed for an update of the Comprehensive Plan.
Their discussion focused on how a plan with data about housing, jobs and traffic can be used to inform decision-makers as Woodford County continues to grapple with growth pressures in Versailles created by zone changes that, in many cases, Planning Director Steve Hunter pointed out, have been in place for several years.
During the meeting at Northside Elementary School Nov. 5, Hunter said Midway has separation from commercial growth on Leestown Road, nearby I-64 and the industrial park. Still, rush hour and tractor-trailer traffic is increasing in Midway because of growth in nearby cities, including Versailles.
The proposed new chapter on housing includes commuter data showing only 2,301 people (about 30 percent) live and work in Woodford County. The number of Woodford County residents who commute to other counties for jobs increased to 7,083 in 2023, according to a housing study conducted by Blueprint Kentucky at the University of Kentucky.
Hunter said the study delved into the question: Would first responders and workers who provide basic services live here if there were more housing options? The study also includes data on household incomes, with the biggest growth coming in households with incomes of over $200,000 (28 percent).
With hundreds of housing units approved for construction, Hunter asked, “Are we building the right kind of homes to accommodate either affordable housing starts or these people will come here who need different kinds of mortgages or rents?
“The biggest gap we have are people who need cheap rents … but we’re building more higher-end stuff,” including homes in The Legends that have escalated in cost to over $500,000, with some selling as high as around $900,000.
When Hunter reviewed Chapter III: Community Facilities & Services, he pointed out that enrollment in Woodford County Public Schools has not grown in a county where about 1,000 homes have been built in the last 10 years.
With a greater number of $400,000 to $450,000 houses now being built in Versailles, Hunter said, “…we may see some more kids in the school system.”
A new Chapter IV: Economic Development has a lot of data about workforce, including the top employers in the county.
Lakeshore Learning Materials leads the industrial employers with 425 employees. Woodford County Public Schools leads the non-industrial employers with 600 employees.
Kroger reported the second-highest number among non-industrial employees with 265, and two incoming large retailers: Lowe’s and Publix will create hundreds of new retail jobs, Hunter said.
Hunter began the meeting by explaining the process of updating a Comprehensive Plan, which is required by state law to be reviewed every five years. The Comprehensive Plan is a policy document used by the Planning Commission and staff to ensure a zone change request complies with the plan, Hunter said.
Later, he noted that unlike other counties, Woodford County is not spending a lot of money to update its plan. Because the work here is being done in-house, it’s taking longer to update the 2018 plan, he said.
Planning Commissioner Karen Isberg, who also chairs the Comprehensive Plan subcommittee, said chapters are being updated and added to the plan with assistance from experts, including the Woodford County Economic Development Authority.
A third public meeting on the updated and new chapters in the Comprehensive Plan is scheduled at Troy Presbyterian Church on Troy Pike Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 to 11 a.m.