Nelson Fiscal Court approves sale of 24-acre tract to Bardstown Bourbon Co.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 — Bardstown Bourbon Co. is growing again. Tuesday morning, May 24th, Nelson Fiscal Court agreed to sell the company a 24-acre tract in Nelson County Industrial Park the company says it will eventually use for construction of rickhouses.
The tract is located on the east side of Parkway Drive, across the road from the entrance to the Salt Rive Electric property. The county had the lot logged and cleared last year to prepare it for eventual sale.
The acreage has no utilities available, and the county had no plans to make them available for this tract, Watts said.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. has agreed to pay $17,000 per acre for the unimproved tract.
INTERNET ACCESS. Nelson Fiscal Court revisited its project to help extend the city’s internet access to rural parts of the county at Tuesday morning’s special meeting.
The court had previously approved the use of American Rescue Plan Act money to partner with the City of Bardstown to extend the city’s internet infrastructure into unserved and underserved areas. Those projects would also qualify for funding through a Kentucky Infrastructure Assistance grant of roughtly $1.4 million.
However, four areas that are on the approved list of 10 projects have been contested by Spectrum, an internet provider that states it has plans to serve those areas. The contested areas include Fairfield Road and Everett Hall; Roberts Road and Wimpsett School House Road; the north section of Jim Clark Road; and Icetown Road.
County Engineer Brad Spalding said he plans to meet with Spectrum to determine if they wish to keep those areas for their upgrades. If they keep those areas, the City of Bardstown has a list of 13 additional rural roads it has designated as possible internet service projects it could partner with county government to fund.
Judge Executive Dean Watts said the court will continue the discussion next month regarding the internet projects. He affirmed the county’s commitment to using part of its ARPA money to help fund rural internet expansion.
RURAL SECONDARY ROAD PROGRAM. Nelson Fiscal Court approved the proposed paving list provided the county by the state’s Department of Transportation office in Elizabethtown as part of the Rural Secondary road maintenance program.
Of $1.5 million allocated to Nelson County, portions of the following roads will be resufaced:
— approximately 4,400 feet of KY 247 Monks Road, from KY 52 to US31E;
— approximately 3,800 feet of KY 2735 Burba Road, from KY 46 to KY 49;
— approximately 1,957 feet of KY 2735, from KY 49 to north of Tom Ballard Road.
— and 2,193 feet of KY 458 Old Tunnel Mill Road, from the Washington County line to US 62.
The cost estimates of the paving program are $871,500. Of the total $1.5 million allocated for Nelson County, an additional $660,900 go to fund routine maintenance, and $3,875 for the judge executive’s expenses.
The court also approved paving approximatly an eight-tenths section of Mobley Mill Road, and a 1.4 mile section of Yates Cooney Neck Road. Both projects will be paid with approximatly $144,075 of Rural Secondary Flex funds.
In other business, the court:
— corrected a typographical error in the county’s alcohol beverage control ordinance.
— approved the appointment o Dean McCullouch to the Nelson County Library Board of Trustees.
— approved the Northeast Nelson Fire District’s annual budget.
— approved the budget for the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist Commission.
NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court will next meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in the Fiscal Court meeting room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse.
-30-
