LEXINGTON, Ky. — Bourbon County’s Bluegrass Station airport project has been closed, but it is still in a state budget bill. Local residents and farm owners are continuing to speak out against the project.
The Central Kentucky project could have forced some landowners to leave their property.
Rebecca Rigney is a busy mom, real estate broker and owner of a farm and arena. An arena where she recently gathered hundreds across Bourbon County to the area she and her family share.
“We think 700 people came because the cars were backed up from the end of that road to the barn, and we already had 200 signatures at that point,” Rigney said.
Those 200 signatures came from people with signs on their lawns. supporting citizens for Bourbon County, the group opposing House Bill 6 which proposes funds for the development of almost 2,000 additional acres in the area.
But executives with Bluegrass Station Airport put out a statement saying the project is now closed.
Rigney, who’s from California, says she comes from a long line of farmers, including some who lost property to eminent domain, which is the state’s ability to take private property for public use. Now, over 20 years later, she’s in Kentucky, potentially facing a similar situation.
“Eminent domain did take part of the property. It was a L.A. County, so we all know what’s happened in L.A. County got pretty built up, and we’ve always wanted to stay with our roots,” she said, explaining how they made it to the Bluegrass State to continue their family business. “That’s just our way of life.”
Rigney says this isn’t their first experience with development plans that involve the loss of property to eminent domain, but says they had concerns back in 2017 for a situation similar.
She says she and her neighbors have lives and expectations for land some have owned for decades.
Some are dealing with personal challenges. Rigney described the community as being a mix of people who are retired, veterans, and several families like her own. It’s why the group rallied together to highlight their issues and possible solutions.
“We have a base in Richmond that has a lot of acreage not being used. We have an airport in Georgetown that’s been shut down,” she offered as potential solutions. Rigney says their goal at the moment is to continue sharing this information.
Citizens for Bourbon County’s leaders say they plan to take their concerns to the capitol as they want the project removed from the state’s budget.