The Leitchfield City Council rejected a proposal from Grayson County Judge-Executive Kevin Henderson to join the county in building a new farmers’ market in Leitchfield.
The proposed location would be at 1150 Elizabethtown Road near the American Legion Post 81.
Grayson County is one of only four counties in the commonwealth that does not have a designated location to hold farmers’ markets.
The building would be open, similar to the SOKY Marketplace in Bowling Green, and the size of the facility is still open to more discussion. With the conversation on size still needing to be had, the cost of the area is still fluctuating.
“It’s sort of a loaded question,” Henderson told the council on Monday about the cost. “I took it upon myself to figure out the size of the building. A 100×200, which is enormous, would be about $550,000.”
To put things in perspective, a building that size is roughly the same as the Centre on Main.
Henderson told the council that he partnered with “Mr. Agriculture” Warren Beeler, who has been a major supporter of the idea, to help create the proposal.
Beeler has been touring the state and showing him examples of what different counties have done with their locations.
If the project would move forward, Henderson mentioned that this could be used for more than just the farmers’ market. He said that Bowling Green and Owensboro use theirs for portable ice rinks during the winter months. Additionally, the facility could play home to movie nights and even as a rain location for East Main Market or the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship.
“We’d probably want something etched in stone by October if the council decides to do this with the county,” Henderson said.
The judge mentioned that he has heard from multiple people praising the potential idea.
“(The Grayson County Extension Office staff) is elated that we are doing something,” Henderson added. “They’re tickled to death.”
Mayor Harold Miller followed up by saying that Extension Office Agriculture Agent Whitney Carman has expressed willingness to help with a potential $250,000 grant which Henderson said that Beeler would also do free of charge.
One aspect of the proposal that still needs to be discussed is who would run the facility. Henderson recommended that a combined committee involving members of the city council, fiscal court, and tourism board be used to create a consensus on quandaries such as that.
The council only had a few questions during the roughly 30-minute presentation from Henderson.
One idea brought forward was from Councilman Dennis Fentress who recommended that when the facility is built, it should be named after Beeler since it is a project he has championed.
After the discussion, Miller asked for a motion to move in with the county to help offset the cost of the location. Clayton Miller made the motion, after a few second pause, and after another period of silence, Fentress seconded.
When the full vote was held, only Clayton Miller and Fentress voted in favor. Billy Dallas, Terri Haycraft, Tooty Cottrell, and Jeanna Carnes voted against the proposal. The 4-2 vote caused it to fail and the city will not partner with the county on the endeavor.
Nothing further was said during the meeting about why the four voted against the measure.
Henderson said that the county still hopes to build the facility regardless of the city’s involvement but mentioned that it will now take more time to break ground.
By: Sam Gormley, Local News
Reach Sam at sam@k105.com
