Alexandria Mayor Bill Rachford brought a list of questions and talking points in case the audience at the March 3 council “Town Hall Meeting” needed prompting....
Development discussed at Alexandria town hall meeting
By Chris Mayhew • cmayhew@nky.com 12:08 pm, Mar 4, 2011
Alexandria Mayor Bill Rachford brought a list of questions and talking points in case the audience at the March 3 council “Town Hall Meeting” needed prompting.
“We’d like to hear what your thoughts are,” Rachford said.
After two people from an audience of 10 spoke their minds, Rachford brought out his list of questions, asking people what they were happy or unhappy about concerning what the city government is doing and what were their concerns for the future.
After a pause, Alexandria Fire District Chief Jeff Pohlman said recognizing that the fire department is a separate entity from the city, the district needs information about the city’s development priorities to plan and budget for its future.
“I’d like to see what this council’s vision is for the city,” Pohlman said.
Pohlman said he wanted to know if the city wanted residential growth to continue and also if they want to see an industrial corridor down by the AA Highway.
Council member Stacey Graus said people know there are several residential developments already approved, amounting to between, 1,800 to 2,000 housing units on properties in the back of the Mike Castrucci of Alexandria auto dealership.
Graus said the only one he anticipates will certainly come to fruition is the partnership between the Drees Co. and Fischer Homes for the 916-housing unit Arcadi development immediately behind the auto dealership. It’s a long-term plan that will take years to build, and when ground will be broken is uncertain because of the economy, he said.
“But, I expect it’s not going to be this year,” Graus said.
Graus said he also wants to see the planned connector road between U.S. 27 and the AA Highway be at least four lanes, and he would prefer a five-lane roadway.
Graus said the city wants to have controlled growth, but that’s not a problem right now.
“There is no growth,” he said.
Graus said it’s his feeling part of the AA Highway corridor should be reserved for industrial uses, but being removed from the airport by some distance and also the interstates, it’s likely the city will attract light industry uses to create more jobs for people.
The city still has property around it that can be annexed, and all annexations in the past have been voluntary, he said. Eventually, the city will look to annex more properties south along U.S. 27, Graus said.
One idea Graus said he wants to pursue is creating areas for more clustered growth of housing on slim lots centered around parks with trails and lakes with space for light retail.
Council member Dave Hart said Graus’ idea is already happening in the new Summer Lake development that’s yet to be completed, and it has incorporated some “neat” walking trails, yet is clustered development.
“You can incorporate a lot of green space, walking space and lakes into a development like that,” Hart said.
Council member Scott Fleckinger said the area’s topography presents some challenges for future development.
“We’re not Boone County, we don’t have a lot of flat land to develop,” Fleckinger said.
Rachford said he doesn’t see any burning desire from the citizenry to attract heavy duty manufacturing, and the hope for the future is to attract light manufacturing businesses.
“I think our motto of ‘where the city meets the country;’ I get a sense that people like that want to keep that,” Rachford said.
Other topics
Before Alexandria Mayor Rachford asked his specific questions at the March 3 “Town Hall Meeting,” two residents spoke.
Marty Hipple, of Viewpoint Drive, said he wants the city to have a public hearing prior to making any change to which side of his street residents can park.
Rachford had sent a letter to all residents of Viewpoint Drive proposing switching parking on Viewpoint to the opposite side of the street for reasons including better access for city snow plows.
The city needs to consider the placement of the six fire hydrants on the street, with five of them being on one the same side of the street that’s being considered for parking, Hipple said.
Alexandria Fire District Chief Jeff Pohlman, in attendance at the meeting, said as long as the hydrants are accessible it doesn’t matter what side of the street parking is allowed on so long as parking is only on one side to allow for a fire lane.
Alexandria Police Department Chief Mike Ward said the city had in previous years received a request from U.S. Postal Service official requesting a switch of parking to the opposite side of the street on Viewpoint. It’s happened in the past that people parked too close to the roadside mailboxes and blocked mail from being delivered, Ward said.
Rachford said Hipple had a good idea.
“We won’t make any changes until we get a public hearing and get citizen input,” Rachford said.
The second resident to speak at the outset of the meeting was Glenn Baldwin.
Baldwin said in light of the growth proposed for the city’s future, the city should at least “kick around” the idea of a second park closer to U.S. 27 with possibly a pool or a skate park that children can use.
“The community park we have right now is a great little park, but I think it’s a little off the beaten path,” Baldwin said.
