‘Farms are going to be destroyed’: Bluegrass Station expansion

BOURBON, CO. Ky. (WTVQ) —- One farmer says the expansion of the Bluegrass Station is an infringement on freedom, and calls the corporation “bullies” who are using eminent domain to build an airstrip.

“Farms are going to be destroyed. We can’t go back, some of that was discussed. We can’t go back and regrow the bluegrass once concrete comes,” she said.

She is one of many home and land-owners who could lose their property to a 4,000 acre development of an airfield if the proposal passes through with the budget.

Bluegrass Station Director Steve Collins says they will pay those home and land-owners back.

“There’s three kinds of money to pay the residents,” he said.

Those three include an appraised price, a relocation expense,and a business reestablishment expense, but farmers are saying that money is not enough.

“There is a lot of hurt a lot of pain and this hurt goes out much farther,” she said.

She says there is a lack of real estate, not enough places to move animals, and the planes – which include c-130 planes – will be harmful to the environment.

Collins says different.

“The local area will be helped by the economic impact, the Commonwealth will be helped by securing the relationship, the partnership that we’ve built with our federal customers,” Collins said.

While Collins says there is still a good amount of time before any ground-breaking, one farmer is urging the community to act now.

“Please fight with us, call your senators, your representatives, your magistrates in your county, because it does affect your county,” she said.