Council postpones vote on UK ROTC memorandum after residents raise concerns about training in Bridal Park

At its June 12 meeting, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted to postpone consideration of a memorandum of understanding that would allow University of Kentucky ROTC to conduct training in Bridal Park. Vice Mayor Wu moved the postponement "in light of the public concerns that we have heard," and Council member Curtis seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote and set the item for the July 3 council meeting.

The move followed several public comments during the meeting from residents who said military-style training in a public park posed problems for ordinary park users. Dave Cooper described Bridal Park as "peaceful and quiet," noting trails, wildlife and a shared gravel parking area used by both the public and ROTC during training. "When they're doing their training, there might be 50 or a 100, maybe a 100 cars, parked in that spot," Cooper said, adding that training activities had interfered with his ability to use the park.

Gun-violence-prevention volunteer Chuck Eddy said survivors he knows could be triggered by military training in a public green space. "Frankly, these survivors and their family and friends could be triggered by being around military training," Eddy said, and he asked the council to table the memorandum of understanding.

Other residents suggested alternative locations. Anita Courtney said she had visited Bluegrass Station — about 4.9 miles down Bridal Hill Road from Bridal Park — and met with Colonel J.B. Richmond, who told her that Bluegrass Station has "close to 300 acres of open land" and buildings that could be used for urban terrain training. Courtney said Richmond had told her, "I think we can provide everything they want and more," and that a contract there might be arranged quickly if ROTC leadership pursues it.

Council members who spoke to the motion framed the postponement as a way to give staff and the university time to pursue other options or address public concerns. Council member Brown said postponement would allow the Parks Department to work with UK ROTC to respond to issues raised in public comment or allow the university to "find maybe another partnership or a location." The council did not take further formal action on the MOU at the June 12 meeting.

What the council directed and next steps

The council’s vote postponed formal action on the MOU until the July 3 meeting, giving Parks staff and the university time to pursue alternate sites or adjustments to the partnership. No final decision on whether training will take place in Bridal Park was made on June 12. If a revised agreement or an alternative location is proposed, it will return to the council for consideration on or after the July 3 meeting.

Why this matters

Bridal Park is a neighborhood green space used for walking, birding and passive recreation; several residents described encounters with wildlife and said joint use with training activities has created conflict. Public safety advocates and some residents said the presence of military-style training in a city park could be emotionally harmful to survivors of gun violence and jarring for families seeking recreation. The postponement gives the Parks Department and the University of Kentucky an opportunity to pursue alternatives before the council votes.