Answering the question of ‘what’s next’ as Corbin begins annexation process in southern Laurel Co.

The next 12 months and the following few years should be an exciting time in Corbin as the city sees one of the biggest expansions ever of its city limits, and significant development along the Exit 29 corridor, which may finally help it reach its full potential.

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

The Corbin City Commission officially took the first step last week to annex the right-of-way along the Exit 29 corridor from the KY-770 bridge to “malfunction junction,” which is technically known as the junction of US25E and US25W. The ordinance also annexes the right-of-way along I-75 from the Whitley County line up to Exit 29.

This ordinance will annex a total of 143.426 acres of Laurel County land into the Corbin city limits.

This is more or less the same tract of land that the city of London annexed in 2020 minus the old King’s Truck Stop property, which prompted a lawsuit by Corbin. The London City Council voted to de-annex this property last year, but a temporary state moratorium last year prohibited Corbin and other cities from annexing property in counties. This moratorium was lifted last month, which cleared the way for Corbin’s latest annexation effort.

Why is being annexed into the city limits important for some businesses?

This question can be largely answered with one word.

Alcohol. (Booze is also an acceptable answer…LOL.)

Currently alcohol sales are not allowed in any of our local counties, such as Whitley, Laurel and Knox counties, but alcohol sales are allowed inside the city limits of most of our regional towns, such as Corbin, London, Barbourville, and Williamsburg.

This means that you can buy a case of beer at the Williamsburg Walmart, which is located inside the Williamsburg city limits, but you can’t buy a case of beer at the Corbin Walmart, which is located outside of the official Corbin city limits.

The same holds true for gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants.

No, it is not all about alcohol, but the ability to sell alcohol will be a major factor in several businesses along the Exit 29 corridor requesting to be annexed into the Corbin city limits.

My best guess is that within the next 12 months, Walmart and pretty much every gas station and little convenience store along this stretch of roadway will be annexed into the Corbin city limits, and most will either be selling alcohol or close to being able to sell alcohol by then.

I suspect that you will also see multiple restaurants there serving alcohol less than one year from now. Sonny’s BBQ was built with a bar area in the restaurant. Cracker Barrel’s corporate website features “beer, wine, mimosas & more” on its drink menu so it is a realistic expectation that Cracker Barrel will seek to have its Corbin location annexed into the city limits.

As far as the other handful of existing restaurants along that corridor, we will just have to wait and see. Some will. Some won’t.

I will be completely shocked if the owners of the old King’s Truck Stop property don’t request annexation into the city limits as soon as possible. This property is primed for development with a new road leading through it is already in place.

Alcohol sales could be enough to entice two or three chain restaurants to possibly locate there or perhaps the opening of some new restaurants by local entrepreneurs.

This in turn could lead to various retail businesses opening up shop there. There is vast potential for the development of that property.

The annexation of businesses is a win for the city of Corbin as these new businesses would pay city taxes, alcohol taxes (if applicable), and I am sure an occupational tax at some point, but this is another topic for another day.

Be forewarned that none of what I am talking about will happen overnight. It’s a process just to annex property into a city limits.

For instance, the Corbin City Commission must still pass the second reading of the ordinance annexing the right-of-way in this portion of Laurel County. The ordinance must then be advertised in the newspaper.

After this, businesses interested in being annexed into the Corbin city limits will make a request to be annexed, an ordinance will have to be drawn up to annex the property into the city limits, first and second readings of ordinances will have to take place, ordinances will have to be advertised, etc.

Then businesses will have to go through the process of applying for a liquor license in order to sell alcohol, which will take several more months.

Put simply, it is going to be a little while before any businesses are actually annexed into Corbin so be patient, but development should come with it relatively soon.