NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A nonprofit in Jessamine County is in limbo after they say potentially hazardous land formerly owned by the city of Nicholasville needs an expensive environmental cleanup.
Center on Hold
The Jessamine County Homeless Coalition started renovating the building at 514 N. Main Street about a year ago. The place sat dormant for years. Executive director of the center, Johnny Templin, says the idea came from God to create a multipurpose space for veterans and those impacted by substance abuse, domestic violence.
"The driving force is me trying to solve problems,” said Templin.
There are currently no 3-point treatment centers in the area. They are planning for 16 male and eight female beds.
“That’s a lower level of care than a traditional center in town. It allows us more flexibility, like a higher number of people in the building so we can mix and match,” said Templin.
Staff will connect clients to wrap around social services.
"It will be a 78-bed facility that everybody in the facility is receiving some sort of treatment. Whether it be case management or behavioral health," said Templin.
But after fighting a city ordinance against shelters downtown, they’re now fighting to come up with the money to keep the building.
They planned to sell a large plot of land at 506 Broadway and finance the building on Main Street.
“We decided that it would be too expensive to build new construction on that property. We decided to list it for sale in order to help fund the Center for Hope and Growth because we are in need of funds and resources in order to complete this facility. In doing so, we listed it for sale. We got a contract on the property,” said Reynolds.
They got an offer way over market price, but the soil analysis yielded troubling results and the deal fell through.
The Issue
The seller requested a soil analysis. It revealed high levels of lead and arsenic.
Soil normally contains low background levels of heavy metals, but contamination from industrial activities or byproducts can increase that. For reference, safe lead levels would be under 400 PPM, one sample taken tested at 3,360 PPM.
They are looking into allegations that the City of Nicholasville used the site as a dump site.
Mayor Alex Carter says right now the city doesn't know where the contamination came from, and they're still researching the situation.
"A couple weeks ago, that was the first time I'd heard or anybody here at the City of Nicholasville had any information on that property," said Carter.
LEX 18 reached out to the EPA for explanation but did not hear back in time for this story. We will update if we do.
What's Next?
There will be a private meeting with city officials and the Energy and Environment Protection Cabinet in Frankfort on Friday to discuss next steps.
A full EPA study will need to be done before the removal process can happen. It can cost more than $20,000.
They offer grants for Brownfield Projects. However, the application is around $2,500.
"It doesn't just affect us, it affects the city. It affects the neighbors. It affects the people who live around it," said Reynolds.
In the meantime, the property and the new property in the middle of being renovated are on hold.
Templin says they need $90,000 to complete it.
Who Pays?
The city has not owned the property for more than 70 years. It sold it to the Jessamine County School Board in 1951. They built an elementary school on top of it. City records confirm.
Spokesperson Patrice Jones says the district had no knowledge of high levels of toxic metals or potential health hazards relating to the land.
When asked about why the elementary school was demolished, Jones said, "The school building at that location was no longer needed and was demolished after it sat empty for a number of years."
Templin feels the city should pay.
Carter says the state energy and environmental protection cabinet environmental agency advised that the owner of the land needed to apply for the grant.
Before the land can be remediated, it needs to have a full study with GeoTech before the toxins can be hauled off. Carter says they were told it would be $25 per ton of waste. They're looking at about 110 cubic tons.
"Nothing that a local non-profit operating on less than six months of an operating budget can do at any one point in time," said Templin.
He says they spent around $10,000 on the initial soil analysis.
The total process could take months, on average 18, for grant approval. Templin says they can't afford to wait that long for financing.
He estimates they can hang on until January.
Carter says the city is seeking available funding for investigation and if necessary remediation and is open to working with the owners to find potential solutions that may be available at the state or federal level.
Brownfield Cleanup
There are dozens of Brownfield projects statewide. The old Fayette County Courthouse is an example. Most are done in partnership with local help.
The EPA's guidelines encourage the partnership.
Carter says they want to be wise with taxpayer dollars and handle the situation the right way.
"Myself as mayor and the city commission, city of Nicholasville, want to do what's right for our citizens," said Carter.
He says concerned community members should reach out and they'll help in any way they can.
On Thursday, Governor Beshear announced Frontier Housing plans to use $1.9 million from the EPA to clean and assess the former Hayswood Hospital Building in Maysville for known contamination.
It is among 10 communities in Kentucky that were selected by the EPA to receive over $7.9 million in cleanup grants in May.
