Rowan Review - April 2026
The days of April have flown by, and we now find ourselves knocking on the doors of May. Much has happened since we last updated you, and so we hope you’re ready for all the information you can stand.
This month, we take a closer look at the opening of the new Rowan County Senior Center — a project years in the making and one that speaks to the kind of community we aim to be. We’ll also highlight the ongoing work being done alongside our recovery groups, to include the Certified Recovery Housing Ordinance and progress at the park — including preparations for upcoming events like Sunday Funday and the development of a new million-dollar amphitheater that will serve as a gathering place for years to come.
As always, we appreciate you taking the time to stay informed and engaged. This newsletter exists to keep you connected to what’s happening in your community, and we’re grateful that you continue to make it part of your month.
Thank you.
Dylan Lambert, Director of Operations
FIRST READING HELD ON CERTIFIED RECOVERY HOUSING ORDINANCE
In our April court meeting, the first reading of an ordinance regarding certified recovery housing was read favorably and scheduled for passage at the May meeting. In essence, this ordinance is making use of legislation passed by the General Assembly a few years ago which allows for local governments and municipalities to take enforcement action against recovery households which have not initiated and completed the state mandated certification process. This certification helps to ensure and enshrine proper recovery housing procedures, living conditions, and overall good neighborly behavior conducive with our community.
As of this writing, very few recovery houses have initiated that certification process, which is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Human Services as well as their recovery partners. In our drafting of this piece of legislation, we looked closely at what other communities across the state were doing, tailored it to our community, and made sure it closely aligned with the ordinance the City is working in concert so that regulations are consistent across the whole community. If passed in May by the Fiscal Court, this ordinance will take effect July 1, 2026 with a 6-month certification grace period.
SECOND READING ON BUDGET POSTPONED TO MAY
The Fiscal Court took the first reading on the budget back in March, and the intent was to put it forth for passage in the April meeting. You may remember from our last monthly update, Rowan County was the first of all 120 counties to submit a budget this year. However, our submission to Frankfort fell in such a way that the approving authority wouldn’t be able to certify it in time for our April meeting, and so it has been pushed to May.
We’re met this year with a very positive budget, much the same as last year with a few key changes that will be of interest to many of you. Though we received less in some cases than initial estimates in state road aid, we’re glad that all of our Local Assistance Road Program (LARP) submissions were approved, including:
CR-1449 Hallwood Drive beginning from the intersection of CR-1346 Logan Hollow and extending 0.9 miles to Morehead city limits.
CR-1224 Bluestone Road beginning at county maintenance near Kroger Drive and extending 2.0 miles to the intersection of KY-3319 Skaggs Road.
CR-1045 Dry Branch Road beginning at the intersection of KY-377 Cranston Road and extending 1.040 miles due east.
CR-1312 Mellwood Lane beginning at the intersection of KY-377 Cranston Road and extending .5 miles to the road’s terminus.
CR-1413 Meadowlands Drive beginning at intersection of CR-1312 Mellwood Lane and extending .5 miles or the full length of the loop road returning to CR-1312 Mellwood Lane.
CR-1126 Trent Ridge Road beginning at the intersection of KY-32 Christy Creek Road and extending 2.7 miles to the end of CR-1126 at the junction of Laurel Road and J. Trent Cemetery Road.
CR-1012 Brineger Road beginning at intersection of KY-32 Christy Creek Road and extending 1.3 miles to the end of CR-1012 Brineger Road at the county line.
The total cost of these projects is estimated at $934,450.00, just shy of a million dollars. For the county’s part of these improvements, we are required to match with $163,528.75 and the remaining balance of $770,921.25 will come from the state. This coupled with the other road aid money we receive, as well as a significant investment from the county general fund, will bring our resurfacing total to just over $2 million dollars for the 26-27 fiscal year, continuing our 7-year trend of laying more blacktop each year than the last.
To be clear, we are paving more roads than the 7 listed above. There are resurfacing projects still being scoped by the Fiscal Court and cost estimated by the Road Foreman.
And while on the topic of road improvements, you have probably noticed that KYTC’s work on KY-32 between Viking Drive and Hickory Point has already begun. This state project is underway, and you will see it pick up steam over the next year as the rest of the contracts are let.
An additional standout of this budget is the additional monetary allocation made to the county’s volunteer fire departments above and beyond their normal allotment. In the coming months we will have much more to share about this initiative, but it boils down to a very positive improvement for the health, safety and wellbeing of our citizens. Soon, Rowan County will have dedicated, paid part-time firemen, on-duty and out in the county ready to respond to your call – a first for this community.
OTHER ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
To add to the road improvements previously mentioned, we’re about to tackle two additional bridge and drainage issues impacting residents access to service. A contract with Stigall Contracting, LLC., was let to repair the bridge at Lee Branch, the weight bearing capacity of which has been diminished by many years of traffic and road salt. This $21,000 dollar project will restore the weight bearing capacity of the Lee Branch bridge to allow for gas trucks and other essential services to cross and serve residents.
In addition, a longstanding drainage issue on Rock Fork Road will be addressed. We have applied for and been approved for around $70,000 in state dollars in order to construct a bridge. The new structure will allow for better drainage in an area that often becomes impassible in times of heavy rain, causing a substantial burden to residents and barriers to emergency services. We will receive bids for this project until next Monday, May 4.
Bridges repair and replacement projects are often some of the most costly we encounter with county infrastructure, and so each year we try to take full advantage of every state dollar available in order to try and stay on top of it.
PLAYING IN THE PARK
Development of the new county park on KY-801 has not slowed as our teams work tirelessly to ready the space in anticipation of our dedication ceremonies, co-scheduled with our first Sunday Funday of the year on May 17. At that time, the basketball courts, pickleball courts, and tennis court will be dedicated and open for enjoyment by the community. The playground which has seen much use already will also be dedicated.
We hope that you will join us on that exciting day for Rowan County, and watch our Facebook for more details on Sunday Funday as we celebrate the important contributions of Independent Stave Company, the Boswell Family, and the family and friends of Janie Holbrook.
There is one particular milestone which we’re very excited to share with you. We are in the process now of selecting architects for a new $1,000,000 amphitheater at the Harry T. Clark Community Park, made possible by the award of an Appalachian Regional Commission grant. More clarity on what we can do will emerge once an architect is contracted and begins design, but our goal is to create an attractive performing space that will serve this community for cultural events and concerts, plays, ceremonies, movie nights, and all of the things that people gather together to enjoy. We feel honored and proud to be able to bring this vision to life for your enjoyment and that of future generations.
RECOVERY ROUNDTABLE
Over the last several months, a group of many public servants and recovery professionals have been quietly meeting in the side room of the Carl Perkins Center with a single goal in mind – making great strides in improving the recovery ecosystem across this community through collaboration and coordination of the resources we already have available to us. A similar initiative was kicked off in 2019 by Judge Clark in his first year in office, but with the advent of COVID-19 and all of the challenges that came along with it, the initiative was paused despite the growing momentum back then.
That momentum has returned, and the community intends to do something with it. Substance abuse and the hardships it puts on our people hasn’t gone anywhere either. While the group has not decided on a formal name or finite organizational structure, they are hard at work identifying the strengths, opportunities and weaknesses we have at hand, and ways that we can all work together to force multiply our limited resources for the betterment of all.
ROWAN COUNTY HAS A SENIOR CENTER
Some people would advise you to save the best for last when sharing this kind of information. Good things happen every day in Rowan County, but this may be the best thing that happened in April.
On April 22nd (coincidentally, Earth Day), we joined together at 740 Clearfield Street for the ribbon cutting of a brand-new Rowan County Senior Center — a 6,500 square foot facility equipped with all of the things a senior could want or need, along with the caring staff and partners necessary to enrich their lives.
There’s an old saying that a society grows great when people plant trees whose shade they know they’ll never sit in. If that’s true, then this building stands as a testament to generations of Rowan Countians who did exactly that. The men and women who helped build this community years ago are the same ones who will now gather here, and it is only fitting that they have a place to call their own.
This project represents more than brick and mortar. It represents a promise kept — a recognition that those who gave so much to Rowan County deserve a place that gives something back.
As with any project of this scale, it did not come to life through the work of one person or one office alone. It is the result of strong partnerships and shared vision — from our local staff to the Governor’s Office, the Department for Local Government, and the Gateway Area Development District. Each played a role in making this day possible, and we are grateful for their continued support of Rowan County.
Most importantly, this center will be filled not just with programs and activities, but with people who care deeply about the seniors they serve. No amount of funding can manufacture that kind of dedication, and it is evident every day in the way our seniors are treated and valued.
This is a place built for community, for connection, and for the continued growth of something that has been decades in the making. In many ways, the trees were planted long ago — and now, we finally get to enjoy the shade.
For those interested in becoming part of this growing community, the Rowan County Senior Center is open to all eligible seniors throughout the county. Whether you’re looking for fellowship, activities, wellness programs, or simply a place to spend the day among friends, there is a seat at the table waiting.
Programming and services at the center are made possible through our partners at the Gateway Area Development District, who help coordinate opportunities that keep our seniors active, engaged, and connected. Anyone interested in participating, volunteering, or learning more about available services is encouraged to reach out to the center directly or connect with GWADD for additional information.
Before closing, it would be a disservice not to recognize the many individuals who helped bring this vision to life. From the Gateway Area Development District — Joshua Farrow, Regina Thompson, Jocelyn Gross, Emily Jordan, and their entire staff — whose guidance and partnership were instrumental throughout this process, to Jeff Standafer, Brock Standafer, and Darren Sparkman with Standafer Builders, whose work quite literally laid the foundation for what now stands, and Bill Barkley and Becky Lawless with MSE Architects, who helped shape that vision into something both functional and lasting, this project reflects a shared commitment to doing things the right way.
That same spirit is evident within our own Fiscal Court, where county administrators, the Judge and the Magistrates, department heads, members of our road department, maintenance crews, and so many others all played a role — a true countywide effort with hands from nearly every corner of county government helping bring this project across the finish line.
That is the story of this building. Not just how it was built, but who built it, and who for. It has been a long road to get here, but we feel that the desination is worth it.
And in the end, that’s what makes it something worth being proud of.