Madison is one of Kentucky’s fastest growing counties, but a proposal to rezone farmland for a business park has sparked debate about just how much development the area can and should sustain.
The county planning commission considered a request Tuesday to rezone more than 700 acres along U.S. Highway 25 north of Richmond for a new business park.
Supporters say the development would increase the local tax base and create jobs – a move that could keep people from leaving the county for work elsewhere.
Opponents, meanwhile, worry the rezoning will gobble up valuable agricultural land, create traffic congestion, strain services and cede control of land use to outside companies.
Kyle Congleton, whose family shifted its business from farm supplies to brick and stone, said development could benefit others like him.
“That decision didn't just save a business; it created a future for my family,” he said. “It gave me the opportunity to stay here after college, work alongside my family, and make a living in the community where I grew up.”
The Kentucky General Assembly offered $20 million to the Central Kentucky Business Park Authority to develop the property, and county officials said more money could be available.
Madison County has other business parks in Richmond and Berea, and they are not at capacity. Still, the county does not see tax revenues from those developments. It would receive tax benefits from the one proposed for the farmland.
Kyle White, whose family lives adjacent to the proposed business park, said county officials should look more carefully at the effects development could have on the area.
“My family chose to live in this part of Madison County because it is rural,” he said. “We are not opposed to economic growth. We believe growth should be carefully planned, fully evaluated and mapped out correctly.”
The meeting’s attendees overflowed out the entrance door of the courthouse annex in Richmond Tuesday. More than 10 people spoke on the project with discussion lasting about two hours.
Planning commission member Mary Eipert said while she appreciates the public participation, the opportunity is too good to pass up, with millions in state funding at stake.
“I feel like this is great for Madison County,” she said. “I think it will be great for decades, and I'm very proud to be able to vote yes on this.”
Eipert also described the project as a generational investment.
“If I ever have grandchildren, I want your all's grandchildren to live here, and I need them to have jobs,” she said.
The commission voted unanimously to recommend the zone change to the Madison County Fiscal Court. That body will hold two public hearings before making a final decision.
The county’s population increased nearly 10% from 2020 to 2025, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It now has more than 100,000 residents for the first time.
Madison County’s growth was only exceeded in Kentucky by Warren County.
That rapid growth may have played a role in an incumbent’s defeat in May’s primary election. Pro-development Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor was defeated by Donna Agee.
