Home » Woodford County residents respond to survey on land use, quality of life and economic development

Woodford County residents respond to survey on land use, quality of life and economic development

Respondents want more stores, dining, entertainment

MIDWAY, Ky. (July 13, 2015) — Woodford County residents treasure the small town and rural life, but want more amenities, such as stores, dining and entertainment, said Billy F. Van Pelt, II, CEO of Woodford Forward.

Woodford Forward, a group of citizens and business owners which advocates highest and best use development, commissioned The Matrix Group to conduct a survey of Woodford County households to gauge community perception.

Woodford-Forward-Logo1“The solution is infill, which is clearly identified in the local citizens’ top three responses: redeveloping vacant land within urban areas, taking care of roads and sewers, and protecting key agricultural areas,” Van Pelt said.

The National League of Cities Sustainable Cities Institute defines urban infill “as new development that is sited on vacant or undeveloped land within an existing community, and that is enclosed by other types of development.”

“The overarching theme of the survey results was a strong desire for infill and redevelopment in Versailles and Midway,” Van Pelt said. “This will be a primary focus of our organization during the next year, through a series of community forums.”

There were 1,307 acres of vacant land within the Versailles and Midway Urban Service Boundaries and Non-Urban Woodford County, according to the most recent 2011 Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Comprehensive Plan Update, as of March 31, 2011. The total amount of vacant land included approximately 221 acres in Versailles and 152 acres in Midway. The County had 933 acres of vacant land, which did not include the vacant land within the Urban Service Boundaries of Versailles and Midway.

The purpose of the survey was to provide an opportunity for citizens to give their feedback regarding issues affecting 
the land use, quality of life and economic development in Woodford County.

Questions used in the survey were formed based on input that The Matrix Group gathered from civic leaders and community-minded individuals representing a cross-section of Woodford County. The Matrix Group then fashioned the questioning to reflect those issues and concerns.

In April, 11,128 surveys were mailed to Woodford County households and 1,527 surveys were returned.

Woodford Forward will post the results on its website on July 28.