Warren County commissioners adopt departure from thoroughfare plan for Myers Y Cooper development

Warren County Commissioners on a unanimous roll call approved a resolution allowing the Myers Y Cooper Company to depart from a portion of the Hopkinsville 2010 access management plan that is part of the county's official thoroughfare plan for two parcels in Hamilton Township.

The resolution applies to parcels 1605276005 and 1605276008 and was approved on the condition that Myers Y Cooper and the Hamilton Township board of trustees record an agreement for cross-access easements acceptable to the county engineer. Commissioner Grossman and Commissioner Jones voted yes on the roll call.

Warren County Engineer Kurt Weber told the commissioners the county and the developer had worked with Hamilton Township since the December public hearing and that the cross-access easement approach would "keep that spirit alive, but yet do it through a private means," allowing a 24-foot cross-access corridor through the development rather than requiring public road right-of-way and a wider public road through the site. Weber said his office supports an agreement between the developer and township that preserves the functional intent of the thoroughfare map while placing detailed implementation between the two parties.

Attorney commentary to the board explained the legal effect of a departure. Because the thoroughfare plan shows the route on the adopted map, future development proposals that would otherwise conflict with that map would need a board departure to be approved without showing strict compliance. The attorney recommended adoption of a resolution conditioned on recording the cross-access easement agreement, which would allow the planning commission and subsequent county sign-offs to proceed without requiring strict map compliance.

Jeff Baumgart, representing Myers Y Cooper Company, told the board the company had "no objection" to the chairman participating after reviewing the prior hearing video and said he appreciated the cooperation of township and county staff. Derek Clodrey, a Hamilton Township trustee, told commissioners the township expects to act on the agreement at its meeting the following day and said, "we're excited in Hamilton Township" about recent activity.

County staff also reported that ODOT reviewed the traffic study and has permitted the proposed access points with a limitation that one of the proposed maneuvers be limited to a right-in only. The recorded agreement between the developer and Hamilton Township is the condition the county attached to its departure so future plats or planning approvals would not be blocked by the thoroughfare map.

The resolution as read by staff described the departure from the Hopkinsville 2010 access management component of the Warren County official thoroughfare plan and made the record conditional on the recorded cross-access easement agreement being acceptable to the county engineer. The board's vote was unanimous among the two commissioners present.

The action does not itself construct roadways or dedicate public right-of-way; it allows future planning decisions to proceed consistent with the recorded agreement and the planning commission's review process.