ONLY ONLINE: First phase of Colonel Sanders Park likely to break ground in March

Ground will likely be broken some time in March for at least the first phase of a downtown Corbin park dedicated to Kentucky Fried Chicken Founder Harland Sanders.

Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission Chairperson Suzie Razmus said Monday that the "secret recipe garden" portion of the project will start being constructed in March. Grant money from Tour SEKY, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism in southeastern Kentucky, must be spent by then or be forfeited. The city of Corbin received the grant for $20,000 last year through the town’s Main Street Program.

"We are going to make some progress, but the whole thing is still going to be awhile," Razmus said. "It’s going good."

Razmus said she received a significant amount of correspondence from sculptors when the project was announced early last year. They are interested in designing the focal point of the park, a large bronze statue of Sanders.

"I’ve been back in contact with them telling them we are going to move forward on it and that we’ve got our property and everything," Razmus said.

She added that one sculptor even plans to make a miniature concept of the statue to present to the Commission.

Laurel Gardens has designed plans for the Secret Recipe Garden.

The Sanders Park will be located on property at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets, at the former Cox’s House of Furniture location. Plans also call for it to take up a portion of municipal parking lots stretching back to Depot Street.

Razmus’ comments came following the regular monthly meeting of the Tourism Commission. The meeting ended with a closed session after which members voted to give Christmas bonuses to its two employees.

Razmus said board members also briefly discussed in the closed session where a Tourism Director might have office space if one is ever hired. She said she approached Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney about utilizing the Corbin Center for Technology and Community Activities as Tourism offices, along with other places. The board has not yet sought applicants for the position, but has set aside $40,000 in its annual budget the last two years for a director.

"We are just taking baby steps on how to logistically do that," Razmus said. "We have to decide when we are going to do it. It is a personnel decision … I’d like to have one [a director] pretty soon."

Razmus’ term on the board will expire this March. She has been chairperson for the last two years and has essentially filled the role of a paid director during that time. Tourism Commissioner members are not compensated for sitting on the board.
In other business, the Commission:

¥ Voted to accept a proposal for $2,200 from Corbin Glass Company for glass shelving and facing for display cases to expand the Corbin Railroad Museum.

¥ Voted to buy two panels in the 2011 Redbud Calendar, published by the Bell County Tourism Commission. Each panel will cost $125. One will feature a photo of the depot building taken by local photographer Jim Begley. Another will be a split panel of photographs of The Arena and Corbin’s KFC restaurant.

¥ Agreed to pay $1,000 for brochure distribution at four trade shows and to 60 AAA offices. The Commission can recover $500 by applying for state matching funds.