Work on a new entrance at the Whitley County Fairgrounds is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
The final payment necessary for the county to be able to move forward with construction on the new entrance was approved last Tuesday during the Whitley County Fiscal Court’s regular monthly meeting.
The new entrance will be placed just prior to the current entrance on Stark Road. There is a structure located in that area right now, but Judge-Executive Pat White, Jr., said that it will be demolished in order to put the new entrance in.
The new entrance will provide a larger, more accommodating opening to the property that will allow for easier access by larger vehicles and those hauling trailers. It will also be angled in a way that will allow vehicles to easily merge off Savoy-Clear Creek Road into the fairgrounds without having to make a typical 90-degree turn.
There will also be additional parking added in the areas where the new entrance connects to the existing roads at the fairgrounds.
Once the new entrance is completed, the existing Stark Road entrance is expected to be closed.
White said that he hopes to see completion of the project by the end of February, though that could fluctuate depending on the weather.
The new entrance has been in the works for over two years now.
The fiscal court hired an engineering firm in February 2023 to help the county acquire the land necessary to expand the entrance. At that time, White said that the firm would be consulted to help determine property lines and ownership around the road. The property in question was in heirship with multiple individuals, which created legal issues.
A horse show is currently scheduled to take place sometime in April at the fairgrounds, which will be the first since the installation of the new open-air structure was completed late last year. White said that the county is planning to honor anyone who has ever been a part of the Whitley County Fair Board at that show and encouraged everyone to attend.
According to White, the county is also looking at adding a permanent stage structure at the fairgrounds. It is expected to be placed over the hill in the area where the mobile stage is located during the fair, though it will be situated in a way that allows the landscape around it to act almost as a natural amphitheater.
If that structure is able to come to pass, White said he hopes to see that ready for this year’s fair, but believes it should definitely be ready in time for the River Stomp Bluegrass Festival later this fall.
In other fiscal court business:
– The fiscal court voted to allocate a portion of the county’s opioid settlement fund monies to Cumberland River Behavioral Health. That money will go toward allowing the organization to upgrade their COPE House facility.
The COPE House offers a number of services for children and teenagers in the area, specializing in meeting the needs of those who are considered to be at-risk.
The total cost of the planned upgrades is $44,000, and includes everything from general building upgrades, to modifications to the facility’s HVAC, to the purchase and installation of some adventure-based activities.
A check presentation for those funds was held Tuesday afternoon at the old Whitley County Courthouse.
