Buffalo Trace has filed plans to build 24 barrel warehouses on 450 acres of land on Graefenburg Road in Anderson County.
According to The Anderson News, the Frankfort-based distillery filed plans to build the warehouses with the Anderson County Planning and Zoning office. The land, which will require a zoning change from agricultural to light industrial, is located not far from the Franklin County line.
Buffalo Trace had previously been pushing for a zoning amendment that would have allowed them to build bourbon warehouses in the Peaks Mill area of Franklin County. At the county zoning update committee’s meeting on Feb. 24, 20 members of the public spoke against the proposed zoning amendment.
Buffalo Trace Distillery warehouses dot the landscape in Franklin County. (Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace)
Charlie Jones, of law firm McNamara & Jones, who was there representing the distillery, foreshadowed the decision to expand elsewhere.
“I’m speaking maybe out of turn for my client, but we’d have to start looking at other places to grow, other places than Franklin County. I’d hate to see that, but it could happen,” he said. “And that’s not a threat or anything.”
Franklin County Judge-Executive Huston Wells said the news made him sick to his stomach. He said Buffalo Trace’s decision to expand outside of Franklin County was the result of how part of the community feels about business expansion.
“There are voices in this community that are sending a clear message to businesses that ‘If you’re not going to do infill, we don’t want you,’” he said.
The Anderson News predicted that the new warehouses, when full, would potentially generate almost $6 million in tax revenue with 65% going to the local school district.
Wells said that tax revenue could have helped lower the tax rate for Franklin County residents, as well as spur further economic growth. However, he said it can become difficult to attract new economic investment if growth has stalled.
“Industry coming in, businesses coming in, it’s all part of growth, and it’s all part of the ways that we can keep our taxes low,” he said. “People aren’t going to move here if we’re not going to grow."
Kentucky Capital Development Corp. President/CEO Terri Bradshaw also lamented the loss of the potential tax revenue for Franklin County.
“It is so unfortunate for our community and the taxpayers who live in it that we have again squandered an opportunity to generate millions of dollars that would have supported our schools, parks, governments, library, health department, infrastructure and other quality of life resources," she said.
She echoed one of the comments made on The Anderson News Facebook post, saying, “Our loss is Anderson County’s gain.”
Bradshaw cautioned that this could set the tone for future economic growth, as other industry leaders, both in and outside of the county, learn how difficult it can be to develop here.
“As I have said hundreds of times, if we continue to neglect our local employers, there are plenty of communities who will welcome them with open arms. This decision by Buffalo Trace certainly reiterated that,” she said.
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The people of Anderson County will regret their short-sighted decision to sell their environment for just a few pieces of silver (drug money)
“ “It is so unfortunate for our community and the taxpayers who live in it that we have again squandered an opportunity to generate millions of dollars that would have supported our schools, parks, governments, library, health department, infrastructure and other quality of life resources," she said.”
What os all of this “our community” stuff that Bradshaw keeps harping about? Bradshaw doesn’t even live in Franklin County, as she and her husband, a Frankfort High graduate, choose to live in another county.
“ Franklin County Judge-Executive Huston Wells said the news made him sick to his stomach. He said Buffalo Trace’s decision to expand outside of Franklin County was the result of how part of the community feels about business expansion.”
That’s kind of been the problem we’ve had with county judge executive Wells for a long time, he doesn’t seem to have the nuance gene. He can’t tell the difference between economic development and whatever it is that Terri Bradshaw is doing! Buffalo trace building warehouses to store their hooch and does not equate to economic development either, it’s more of an extractive model like coal or logging. For the small amount of money it brings in, it sure does make a mess of things for a long time. Building all those warehouses on nearly 500 acres of farmland permanently destroys the farmland. Now you may think that’s OK but I don’t! We’re not make any more farmland, so permanently destroying it for a measly $6 million in taxes, providing almost no jobs (how many people does it take to watch bourbon sleep in a warehouse?), it’s not good sustainable economic Development!
Right Jim . Wells thumbs his nose at those that live in Peaksmill and other citizens tire of the mold for what ? More damage to our environment and Terry Bradshaw spouting misinformation? Those two are peas in a pod.
It is not harmful to the environment or humans.
Is there no area in Franklin County where Buffalo Trace could build warehouses other than along the idyllic Peaks Mill Road?.
Sure there is, but that's not Buffalo Trace's issue. Their issue is that we were willing to resist. Relationships between communities and industries aren't mutual. If Buffalo Trace doesn't feel that Frankfort meets its standard of obedience, they'll develop elsewhere.
Wow - if the county makes "millions" off warehouses taxation, I guess we must be making some good money off those Tierney warehouses, too - right?
I'd like to see a legal document of how much BT does pay in taxes in Franklin Co. Well's sure doesn't know. Most of the BIG MONEY BIZ like BT are looked in awe and wonder by those like Wells -and pay little in taxes, dollar for dollar with your average business .
Good point. I would like to see the numbers on what the taxes are from a filled warehouse, including the salaries of full time workers employed to run a tank battery such as the ones currently constructed on top of Cedar Cove Hill.
Buffalo trace had every opportunity to provide those numbers to the public to help make it a case for allowing them to destroy that part of Peaks Mill near the Elkhorn. Why wouldn’t they provide that readily if it was a tax money generating venture for the citizens? I don’t want to take the Anderson County paper word for this, assuming unvetted numbers is how all you people get in trouble. What is the law on this type of construction?
Yes. Just not as much.
Please explain what you are referring to, Mr. Woods?
Please vote for Michael Mueller for Franklin County Judge Executive. The current CJE Wells claims to be sick at his stomach and is making many of us sick at our stomach's! Bradshaw's plagiarism will make a person's stomach feel a little queasy too. I feel sorry for Anderson county citizens- they've traded a green environment for their childrens future for a monetary bribe and a looming environmental catastrophe is the next half of a century, in their little corner of the world.
The CJE talks about being “sick at his stomach “. I’ve ( you have to) seen many people - friends and relatives- sick at their stomachs with alcoholism. I’ve seen and you’ve seen or heard of many die from alcoholism- slowly over a couple of decades- while still young . Some die quickly from overconsumption os alcohol- within hours of drinking it. It also leads to other drugs.
If a loss of a measly $6 million can make the CJE sick to his stomach, it seems like the loss of nearly $20 million when he sat on his hands and let Matt Bevin destroy our Convention Center, should have danged near done him in!
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