Council votes down ordinance to allow warehouses on smaller tracts

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 11:50 p.m. (UPDATED with meeting video, July 27, 2016) — The Bardstown City Council voted down a ordinance that would have allowed distilled spirits warehouses as a conditional use on tracts of land as small as 20 acres.

Councilman Fred Hagan

While there aren’t many existing tracts in the city limits that meet the criteria — agricultural zoned tracts between 20 and 100 acres — Councilman Fred Hagan said the measure was not an appropriate use for land inside the city limits.

“I really think as far as land use, we need to use the land in the city for housing and businesses and so forth,” he said. “It takes up so much space, it drives development out. It’s not appropriate for an urban setting.”

Councilman Bill Buckman said he hoped his no vote would send a message to Nelson Fiscal Court that smaller distilleries are encroaching on the city limits, bringing more warehouses.

“And with more warehouses you got more of the sugar mold,” Buckman said. “In the long term its detrimental to our economy and the well-being of the city with all these warehouses coming in.

“I think we need to stay away from it and hope the (county) magistrates will see our side, and hopefully keep them off our boundaries.”

During Nelson Fiscal Court’s discussion about the proposal, 20 acres was determined to be the smallest tract on which two distilled spirits warehouses could be located.

Councilman Bill Buckman

Buckman said he expects more warehouses coming to Nelson County, noting that Heaven Hill Brands is involved in a federal lawsuit. “If they lose that they’re going to be forced out of Louisville to us,” he said. “That’s why they’re building seven warehouses out Cox’s Creek.”

If warehouses are allowed on smaller tracts, warehouses will come closer to the city limits creating more potential mold issues.

“We’re going to have Maple Hill all over Bardstown,” Buckman said.

City Attorney Tim Butler noted the proposal really is aimed at county government more so than land in the city. He noted that Nelson Fiscal Court tabled consideration of the proposal at the court’s last meeting.

The council vote was unanimous to deny the proposal, which included a revision to the B-5 retail complex district zoning. The B-5 revision will need to be sent back to the council for approval on its own.

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