The McCracken County Fiscal Court plans to hire a Webster County attorney to fix zoning map errors, according to the county’s Attorney Michael Murphy.
Murphy said the errors come from the switch to Geographical Information System mapping, which is much more accurate. He said finding someone slightly outside McCracken County and the contentious lots is part of the Fiscal Court’s upcoming decision to hire Tommy Joe Fridy of Sebree.
“What they really wanted to do was to have somebody independent, who didn’t have any ties to me, to the Fiscal Court, to any of the property owners affected. Somebody who’s independent but yet is an expert in the field to look at it,” Murphy said. “They want somebody absolutely, totally objective. Somebody that’s above reproach and has no doubts that they’re only trying to follow the law and make sure the problem is fixed. Mr. Fridy qualifies for that.”
Murphy added that Fridy is to meet with the Planning and Zoning Commission at its meeting next week before approving him to do the work. The Fiscal Court will then have to do the same.
Murphy said keeping the zoning changes accurate is important, particularly for McCracken County homeowners.
“If you have a nice home in McCracken County, you spent a lot of money on that home, and you really don’t want a mechanic to put a garage across the street from you,” he said. “You have nothing against garages, but those businesses you would like to see them congregate together in a business type district or commercial district where people don’t plan to live.”
Murphy said when the old maps are compared to the current GIS maps, there are some ambiguities on lines between zoning districts. Those incongruities were not addressed at the time, so the Fiscal Court and Planning and Zoning Commission will clarify those differences after hiring the outside attorney.