Daily Independent (Ashland, KY)

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July 19, 2012

Citing safety, Greenup County seeks to move stands off U.S. 23 right-of-way

Carrie Stambaugh The Independent

GREENUP — Summer’s bounty is here, as evidenced by the number of roadside fruit and vegetable stands that have popped up along busy U.S. 23 in recent days.

Those vendors could soon have a new, safer place to do business along the highway, much to the delight of public safety officials.

Plans are to establish a permanent farmers market in a field near the intersection of U.S. 23 and the Industrial Parkway next to the Greenup County Cooperative Extension Office.

The location is visible from the highway but would allow motorists and vendors to be completely out of the busy road’s right-of-way and provide ample parking for motorists, too.

Greenup County Judge-Executive Bobby Carpenter said state highway officials approached the fiscal court over a year ago about finding a place for the roadside stands to alleviate safety concerns stemming from traffic stopped along the roadway.

“We are going to put it there,” Carpenter said of the potential new home. “It’s the safest place you can put them.”

He expects 20 or 30 vendors to locate there as soon as it is opened.

The plan has hit a snag, however, because no one knows who owns the location. But Carpenter is undeterred. He said if searching for a deed to the property is fruitless, the court could condemn the property and take it via eminent domain.

The new marketplace could also create a revenue for the city of Wurtland, which requires all vendors to buy a $50 business license fee. The lot is inside the city limits.

Carpenter hopes the county can eventually invest more than gravel into the lot, which it intends to put down to create the lot.

“I hope one of these days we can afford some structures to put up there,” he said.

The creation of the farmers market has the support of highway officials and law enforcement.

Wurtland Police Chief Philip Piercy said the vendors are good for the city, but a location off the roadway would help improve safety.

Piercy said he, along with the Kentucky State Police, have fielded complaints from motorists in recent days about the roadside stands.

“We are supportive of the benefits of the county’s actions from the standpoint of relieving the safety and encroachment issues,” said Allen Blair, a spokesman for Highway District 9. “It’s a dangerous situation and we would advise people not to have those activities on a state highway right-of-way, especially a right-of-way on a highway with 55 mph speed limit.”

The issue of encroachment is not isolated to roadside vendors in Greenup County, he added.

“Across the state we have issues with advertising, vehicles for sale, and other unpermitted encroachments. We have a problem with that from the standpoint it presents a safety issue for traffic.”

CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

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