Growth group recommends meetings

By Tim Mandell
timm@owentonnewsherald.com

After more than a year of research, the Growth Management Committee went before the fiscal court last week with its initial recommendations.
The Growth Management Committee, formed in the summer of 2005 by Owen County Judge-Executive Billy O'Banion, was created to examine how the county has grown, how that growth has affected the condition of each area, and how growth may affect Owen County in the future.
“We really wanted this to be a fact-finding mission,” group membr Todd Spurgeon said.
Spurgeon said the group decided “let's take a look at Owen County and the growth of Owen County and what issues need to be addressed.”
The group split Owen County into four sections and beginning June 2, 2005, toured each of those sections.
Spurgeon said the group also looked at existing ordinances, visited other counties to see how they have responded to growth, and examined ordinances and regulations involving the agriculture district.
“We looked at every crack and crevice and down every road we could find,” said Ed Ashcraft, a member of the committee.“It's an issue that can really contribute to the long term future of the county.”
Ashcraft added that the committees recommendations are not set in stone, and that the committee plans to have a minimum of five meetings open to the public to continue discussing the issues and to receive input from citizens of the county.
The first meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Fairway Golf Course.
“We'll be there to discuss the recommendations and take recommendations from people that are there,” Ashcraft said. “Whatever we recommend should reflect the vision the people of Owen County have.”
Recommendations presented include:
1. The Nuisance Ordinance: We recommend that the fiscal court take a proactive stance by designating county personnel whose job descriptions will include reporting observed violations of the ordinance to the county attorney for prosecution. This should include constables, law enforcement, road department and the solid waste coordinator. We also recommend that ordinance be studied with the goal of strengthening it.
2. A Right to Farm Ordinance: This should be enacted to protect a farmer’s right to engage in agricultural activities that may produce sights, smells and sounds that new residents who are more used to an urban environment may not find pleasant. Owen County was, and is, an agricultural community and that heritage must be protected from the encroachment of new residential development. We recommend that the fiscal court use the Trimble County ordinance as a model.
3. New Regulations: These should be developed to prevent development and/or use of land within Owen County that would negatively affect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Owen County while at the same time protecting the private property rights of every property owner. Emphasis should be placed on not allowing developments which would overtax the available utilities such as water, or that would not have adequate roadway access, or not be suitable for the construction of onsite sewage disposal or have adequate public sewage disposal available.
4. Inspection of Non-Owner Occupied Dwellings: The county and cities should inspect and license non-owner occupied dwellings. Unfortunately there are landlords who rent sub-standard buildings to people to use for a dwelling which negatively affects the health, safety and welfare of the occupants as well as the entire community. This situation negatively affects the services of our health care facilities, law enforcement and school system as well as the quality of life for everyone.
5. Vision for the Future: That, with the input of the residents, a vision for the future of Owen County, regarding its continued growth be developed.
This should not be undertaken sporadically in response to conditions that have arisen, but should be an ongoing, tracking project by a committee charged with the responsibility of reporting periodically to fiscal court.
A plan for the development of roads, utilities and necessary services should be the goal of fiscal court. The services of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District should be utilized.
6. No to Planning and Zoning: Due to the complexity and cost of a formal planning and zoning ordinance, we do not recommend its adoption at this time. However, we do recommend to fiscal court that it consult with state representatives to seek changes to KRS 100 to make land-use planning tools more usable by rural counties such as Owen County.