By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
The Barren County Fiscal Court approved on July 21 a motion to begin the process of drafting land use and zoning regulations, with an expected preliminary draft as early as next month.
Magistrate Marty Kinslow made the motion to direct the Joint City-County Planning Commission to begin the process for drafting regulations governing the unincorporated parts of the county. All magistrates approved the move in a roll call vote.
On the evening before the fiscal court meeting, the local planning commission authorized the hiring of Reese True with Kentucky Steward LLC, a consulting firm, to assist with navigating the process of drafting any regulations that may ultimately come to fruition, according to Kevin Myatt, the planning and zoning director.
Myatt told the court that True drafted House Bill 937, which never advanced out of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee in March.
The legislation, if passed, would have set minimum statewide requirements for the siting and approval of high-intensity technological infrastructure projects while also preserving the ability for local governments to impose additional restrictions. It also would have established standards for public involvement, project review, and public notices, allowing jurisdictions without zoning to have more local control over such projects.
“[The bill] primarily dealt with uses concerning data centers, solar farms, and alternative energy,” Myatt said. “The planning commission felt having an expert in that particular field would be a tremendous help for the [regulations] and rules that may be presented to this body.”
With town hall meetings underway, Myatt said feedback from those meetings will be incorporated into the drafting process.
In August, the planning commission will have a public meeting to review any language that has been drafted before continuing the process into September and October for an official public hearing.
It is anticipated the fiscal court will consider a vote for the first reading of a zoning ordinance in October or November. Two readings are required before an ordinance is adopted into law.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said Tuesday’s vote did not approve countywide zoning regulations, but it is a step forward to begin drafting the language.
Byrd also appointed, and the court approved, two magistrates to serve on a language drafting committee along with three members of the local planning commission: Thomas Grubbs, Bobby Bunnell, and Ricky Houchens.
“If you deem it necessary that there might be citizen members appointed, that’s your decision,” Myatt told the court.
Byrd said on Friday that discussions are underway for selecting citizen representatives to serve on the committee.
Myatt told the court that a zoning ordinance would be a fluid document with ongoing updates and changes as needed.
“This is not a stagnant document,” Myatt said. “This is a breathing, living document. It will be amended many, many times.”
He said such documents are reviewed multiple times throughout the year by staff and members of the planning commission.
Zoning ordinances, Myatt said, are not designed to regulate only a handful of land uses.
“It has to deal with a multitude of uses equally and fairly under the state statutes,” Myatt said, adding that all of Barren’s incorporated cities have about 100 listed land uses specified.
He also reiterated that Kentucky’s Right-to-Farm Act exempts agricultural operations and farming practices from local zoning regulations and said such regulations “will not and cannot infringe” upon those specific uses.
The drafting committee meetings will be open to the public.
The final two town hall meetings are scheduled for Aug. 10 at Park City Elementary and Aug. 13 at Hiseville Elementary.
