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Commissioners press property owners to repair Imperial Way alley; consider city takeover after repairs
Summary
Commissioners discussed safety, accident history and poor pavement on the private access known as Imperial Way. Planning and zoning reported the property owner pledged repairs; commissioners said they will press owners to complete work and consider accepting the alley for city maintenance only after it meets standards.
Nicholasville commissioners pressed property owners to repair an aging private access (Imperial Way) that many drivers use to reach businesses off Main Street, and they outlined a path to possible city takeover only if owners bring the roadway to acceptable condition.
Commissioner Patty Teeter introduced the matter, saying the private access (between Tractor Supply and the Holiday Inn/Good Health parcel) has deep potholes and forces local drivers into long detours or unsafe cut-throughs. City transportation staff cautioned that the Main Street intersection has a history of angle and opposing-left-turn crashes; KSP/aerial collision data presented to the board showed 39 accidents from 2010–2014 (16 angle or crossover) and a continued number of collisions after a left-turn restriction was added in about 2015–2016.
Planning and zoning enforcement reported that the city notified the owner on April 14; the owner said a contractor would repair the pavement within two weeks and a temporary patch was put down on May 8. Staff cited the city ordinance requiring owners to maintain parking and access areas "in good condition, without holes, free from dust, trash and all other debris" and said enforcement would follow up. The zoning officer recommended either enforcing repairs or, if owners do not comply, using the city’s repair-and-lien authority.
Commissioners discussed two parallel paths: (1) ask property owners to make permanent repairs to meet city standards, then consider accepting the alley as a low-priority city-maintained alley; or (2) if owners fail to comply, initiate city repair and place an assessment/lien on affected lots. Several commissioners favored a conditional acceptance—city maintenance after owners complete repairs to the satisfaction of city engineers.
The board also considered petitioning the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for changes to the state-controlled Main Street access (including restoring a left-turn allowance onto the private road) but agreed first to pursue repairs and local enforcement.
Ending: Planning and zoning will continue enforcement, owners have scheduled a contractor to perform work (temporary patch already applied), and the board asked staff to pursue repairs and report back; possible city takeover remains contingent on owners meeting city standards.
