The decision on a Greenwood garden center will wait for now.
The Planning Commission will hold a special meeting in the next couple of weeks to decide. No date has been set.
Ken Gish wants to build a retail garden center on a plot of land that he owns in Greenwood. But, he’s having trouble getting the Planning Commission to approve it.
Gish originally got the idea to build the business after Stephens Production Company built a gas rig on the property, making four acres unusable.
Gish tried to stop the company from drilling on his land, but quickly found out that he did not own the mineral rights to his land. Therefore, Stephens Production Company was able to drill on his land without his permission.
“The gas they’re getting isn’t even on my property. It’s down by the golf course. But my land didn’t have anything on it. So they came in, drilled straight down, and almost a mile over to get to it,” said Gish.
Since then, Gish has been looking at alternatives for what he can use the land around the gas rig for.
“It’s a dead zone. It’s sitting out there and nobody can do anything with it. And it’s about two and a half acres that’s just open rocks,” said Gish.
To build the garden center and nursery, Gish has to have the Planning Commission rezone the area.
“I already have the pad up there – that’s the dead space. Not around the corner, I already have the space. I don’t want to go and use more,” said Gish.
Melody Rhodes lives across the street and says she’s tired of seeing the gas rig. She said she would much rather see the garden center and nursery that Gish has proposed to be built on the land.
“I’m excited about it. I certainly hope it goes through because we are in a state of economy that, number one, Greenwood needs the tax revenues. I’m just blessed there’s someone that cares enough about wanting to put a business in Greenwood,” said Rhodes.
Gish said those who oppose the garden center being built are worried about traffic increasing in the area. But Gish says that’s a city issue, and not one he should be concerned with.
If approved, the garden center and nursery would be open for business by 2014.
