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Plans to develop Seventh Street in Winchester have been under consideration previously by the Winchester City Commission. 

At the meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 1, the topic once again came to light. 

With vice president of Palmer Engineering Brian Ward speaking before the Commission, it was advised to follow an updated plan that could not only lead to further development but would also reduce the overall project cost by approximately two million dollars. 

“‘Why are we spending $2 million to relocate utilities we already have in the ground when we could do something different?’” said Ward, explaining the current project plans. “If we picked up where we are now and [did] a re-engineering of that, the result ultimately [would be] $2 million in savings.” 

With the goal in mind of allocating heavy truck traffic through residential neighborhoods, the city has allocated $300,000 for the project. 

They have also previously committed to applying additional monies, with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC) providing funds for design, right-of-way acquisition, and more. 

The new plan includes making adjustments to the exit of the new roadway in a way that shall accommodate traffic related to Freeman Corporation and a property owned by Jerry Joiner, owner of Stuff Recycling. 

While some residents expressed concerns – including James Robinson stating that larger vehicles might have time turning around in the location – the Commission agreed that finding a property to serve as a turnabout location might work effectively. 

In addition, City Commissioner Shannon Cox noted that the project could help create further development, requesting that water and sewer lines be installed during the initial construction phases. 

Former city manager Mike Flynn spoke of the matter. 

“You [have] got to know how the property is going to be laid out in order to adequately provide the water and the sewer,” he said. 

Winchester Mayor JoEllen Reed mentioned that the city is in the process of acquiring the property needed to complete the project, adding that the city would continue working on acquisition for the project. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026, with a completion date anticipated for 2027. 

In other news, graduates of a new program were recognized. 

Members of the inaugural Emergency Medical Technician Base (EMT-B) Initial Program class – operated by Winchester Fire-EMS – received certificates of completion. 

They are Xavier Riley, Tallon Stallings, Patrick Boykins, Micah Whiteley, Lance Henry and Joe Wheeling. 

To graduate the program, each participant completed 160 hours of EMT training over a 15-week period, featuring such topics as tactical emergency casualty care and EMS vehicle operations.