Just a few weeks ago, the Frankfort/Franklin County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission (Planning Commission) voted six to three against rezoning nearly 100 acres of land owned by Ron Tierney from Agricultural to Industrial. The property is located at 690 Duncan Road. The Franklin County Fiscal Court’s planning staff had previously recommended a zone change to Industrial due to the subject property’s proximity to the surrounding industrial land and its designation within our existing Comprehensive Land Use Map as a future employment center.
The six appointed members of the planning commission voting against the zone change request include Bill May, Brent Sweger, Paul Looney, Tim Luscher, Darrell Sanderson and Patti Cross. Some of these folks have extensive experience serving on our planning commission, and some have a long record of being roadblocks to economic progress and growth in our community over the past 30 years. Some members are personal and professional friends of mine. I’m very fond of many of them as individuals. My comments here refer to their approach and decision making as planning commission members.
Rodney Williams
Without exception, all 11 appointed members of the planning commission have an important role in Franklin County’s future. Their analysis and recommendations on how to move forward with large-scale development projects have real consequences for the future of our community. In particular, the planning commission’s decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request was not well thought out and negatively impacts our tax base.
There are many reasons I disagree with their denial, but the most obvious ones include the fact that the property had already been identified for decades in our comprehensive land use maps as a future employment center, and it is surrounded by existing industrial land on three sides. Now, the planning commission’s recommendation to deny the zone change goes to the fiscal court for a vote to either accept the planning commission’s recommendation to deny the zone change or request a transcript of the planning commission’s hearing and come up with their own findings to approve or deny the request.
I’ll remind you that the same fiscal court voted 4-3 to deny Tierney’s zone change request on the same property in 2020. Magistrates who voted to deny the zone change two years ago include Scotty Tracy, Marti Booth, JW Blackburn and Michael Mueller — the same Mueller that’s been touting that he’s going to do everything he can to grow jobs and that he’s capable of leading our community with improved economic development over the next several years. But there’s a big gap between what Mueller says and what he does when he votes on important issues like this one.
The citizens of Franklin County should know about the lost opportunities caused by the recent planning commission decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request. Without the zone change, Franklin County has no other available tracts of land large enough for industrial use that allow us to compete for large capital investments and a significant number of new jobs. Before the zone change was denied, local and state economic development agencies were actively pursuing at least six prospective companies and competing for the following estimated contributions to our community:
• 700 new jobs and $260 million in capital investment
• 500 new jobs and $1 billion in capital investment
• 400 new jobs and $500 million in capital investment
• 200 new jobs and $36 million in capital investment
• 90 new jobs and $14 million in capital investment
• 50 new jobs and $14 million in capital investment
Upon learning that the property would not be rezoned for industrial use, those organizations were no longer considering Franklin County. In essence, this planning commission decision confirmed that Franklin County is not interested in job growth and investment. While not all six companies could have been accommodated on this 100-acre tract of land, it’s safe to say that we turned down over 1,000 new jobs and approximately $1.8 billion in investments into our community. A conservative estimate of real estate, tangible property, and payroll taxes collected by our local taxing authorities would have been $13 to $15 million ANNUALLY.
I hope you remember this information the next time you read about someone being appointed to our planning commission or one of these same people knock on your door asking for your vote claiming that he or she supports growth and opportunity in our community. Somehow, these same politicians continue to demonstrate their inability to add two and two together to come up with four.
Rodney Williams, of Frankfort, is Frankfort Area President of Whitaker Bank with 28 years of commercial banking experience. He is a member of the Development Interest Group Frankfort and can be emailed at rwilliams@whitakerbank.com
Lately, we have seen Bradshaw and a local banker release lists of potential anonymous/unspecified businesses that they say we “lost” because of the recent planning commission decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request.” Even if these lists are comprised of real rather than phantom industries, how do we know that it wasn’t Bradshaw driving them away because she “badmouthed Frankfort, Franklin County, or its leaders in a public forum”?
After our pleading for the source of these magic numbers, and hearing crickets, I think that we have to realize that they maybe pulling our leg on this. Or is it our finger?
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Mr Williams. We both know that land use issues are most always thorny; everybody has an opinion.
I do have a question though. Could you please source the capital investment and the potential jobs data? Especially the unrealized capital expenditures. I would readily accept "millions" on the surface, but "billions" is quite another matter.
“The citizens of Franklin County should know about the lost opportunities caused by the recent planning commission decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request.”
“There are many reasons I disagree with their denial, but the most obvious ones include the fact that the property had already been identified for decades in our comprehensive land use maps as a future employment center, and it is surrounded by existing industrial land on three sides.”
What makes Mr. Williams think that if Tierney gets a zone change, that that property will become a future employment center? Mr. Tierney owns several plots in the existing industrial parks, and they certainly haven’t become employment centers by any stretch of the imagination! From my roadside survey, it looks like his empire consist of empty warehouses. Where are the jobs?
The numbers that Mr. Williams has listed are comprised of phantom industries and businesses, always totally anonymous. It’s like he and Ms. Bradshaw have made them up out of whole cloth. Somebody please prove me wrong.
Mr Williams, as a banker , should be more than aware of the “abstract concept” that $ numbers are to humans ,and the fact that those using “$number” as in this piece , appear to be working for profiteering for special interest , as false “concrete “ thinker’s ? In our physical world these scams are not for the good of the community or the environment. This type of thinking is predatory capitalism with no regard to environmental and social cost. It’s inevitably a death economy. Mr William’s , with his seemingly lack of acknowledging the detrimental effects of that type thinking seems the struggle with the idea of an economy that cleans up pollution, regenerates destroyed environments, and creates technologies that do not ravage the environment- a living Economy. That’s never mentioned, if you notice by these playing these “ number “ games .
One more thing , to throw some semblance of logic into the mix ; as I drove across Chennault rd industrial park , I noticed all the empty land there that is already zoned “ industrial “ and empty giant box building empty ,plus offices built that should have occupied an infill in existing abandoned buildings, like the old Sears and more. That’s not the only “ industrial park not fully utilized in our county, either.
Greed drives these folks with these “ abstract $ numbers “ they throw up as seemingly false prophets ?
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Lately, we have seen Bradshaw and a local banker release lists of potential anonymous/unspecified businesses that they say we “lost” because of the recent planning commission decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request.” Even if these lists are comprised of real rather than phantom industries, how do we know that it wasn’t Bradshaw driving them away because she “badmouthed Frankfort, Franklin County, or its leaders in a public forum”?
The banker and the kcdc ceo don’t have any available , truthful evidence to their claims. They are using a “ bandwagon “ fallacy .
After our pleading for the source of these magic numbers, and hearing crickets, I think that we have to realize that they maybe pulling our leg on this. Or is it our finger?
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Mr Williams. We both know that land use issues are most always thorny; everybody has an opinion.
I do have a question though. Could you please source the capital investment and the potential jobs data? Especially the unrealized capital expenditures. I would readily accept "millions" on the surface, but "billions" is quite another matter.
Thank you. If it's easier, just give me a call.
Thank you, Frankfort Planning Commission members!
“The citizens of Franklin County should know about the lost opportunities caused by the recent planning commission decision to deny Tierney’s zone change request.”
Where is the evidence?
“There are many reasons I disagree with their denial, but the most obvious ones include the fact that the property had already been identified for decades in our comprehensive land use maps as a future employment center, and it is surrounded by existing industrial land on three sides.”
What makes Mr. Williams think that if Tierney gets a zone change, that that property will become a future employment center? Mr. Tierney owns several plots in the existing industrial parks, and they certainly haven’t become employment centers by any stretch of the imagination! From my roadside survey, it looks like his empire consist of empty warehouses. Where are the jobs?
The numbers that Mr. Williams has listed are comprised of phantom industries and businesses, always totally anonymous. It’s like he and Ms. Bradshaw have made them up out of whole cloth. Somebody please prove me wrong.
Mr Williams, as a banker , should be more than aware of the “abstract concept” that $ numbers are to humans ,and the fact that those using “$number” as in this piece , appear to be working for profiteering for special interest , as false “concrete “ thinker’s ? In our physical world these scams are not for the good of the community or the environment. This type of thinking is predatory capitalism with no regard to environmental and social cost. It’s inevitably a death economy. Mr William’s , with his seemingly lack of acknowledging the detrimental effects of that type thinking seems the struggle with the idea of an economy that cleans up pollution, regenerates destroyed environments, and creates technologies that do not ravage the environment- a living Economy. That’s never mentioned, if you notice by these playing these “ number “ games .
One more thing , to throw some semblance of logic into the mix ; as I drove across Chennault rd industrial park , I noticed all the empty land there that is already zoned “ industrial “ and empty giant box building empty ,plus offices built that should have occupied an infill in existing abandoned buildings, like the old Sears and more. That’s not the only “ industrial park not fully utilized in our county, either.
Greed drives these folks with these “ abstract $ numbers “ they throw up as seemingly false prophets ?
That results in a death economy .
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State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.