GLASGOW, Ky. — Barren County’s proposed countywide zoning ordinance is headed to a public hearing Monday, Oct. 19, marking a major step in an effort to establish land-use regulations for unincorporated areas of the county.

The Joint City-County Planning Commission will consider the proposed ordinance, an official zoning map, an amendment to the county’s future land-use projections map and a proposed fee schedule during its meeting at 7 p.m. at Glasgow City Hall.

The hearing follows months of work by planning officials, county magistrates and a specially appointed Land-Use Committee to develop the county’s first comprehensive zoning ordinance.

Unlike previous public listening sessions held throughout the county and during committee meetings, the public hearing will follow a due process-style format.

Anyone wishing to express an opinion must be sworn in and provide testimony and evidence to support their claims.

The proposal began moving forward in July, when Barren County magistrates unanimously approved a motion by Magistrate Marty Kinslow to begin the process of creating countywide zoning regulations.

The vote did not adopt zoning but directed the Joint City-County Planning Commission to begin developing a proposal for the Fiscal Court’s consideration.

At the time, County Judge/Executive Jamie Byrd emphasized that the vote was only the beginning of the process.

The effort gained urgency amid public concerns about proposed development, particularly a data center proposed in Cave City, with part of the project site located in unincorporated Barren County.

Residents had called for a moratorium on data center development while local officials considered how such projects could be regulated.

According to previous analysis by County Attorney Mike Richardson, Barren County lacked countywide zoning regulations for unincorporated areas, leaving officials without an established framework to determine where certain types of development could occur and under what conditions.

Committee helped shape proposal

Following the magistrates’ July vote, officials established a Land-Use Committee to help planning staff review the proposed regulations and recommend changes.

The committee includes citizen representatives Billy Beckham, Eric Snyder, Jamie Pendygraft, Josh Morris and Sheila Steenbergen; magistrates Tim Coomer and Marty Kinslow; and Planning Commission members Thomas Grubbs, Bobby Bunnell and Ricky Houchens.

Planning and Zoning Director Kevin Myatt has described the committee as an advisory body intended to help staff develop a document that meets residents’ needs and gives the Fiscal Court a proposal it can consider adopting.

The committee began reviewing a draft ordinance of more than 100 pages in August. Subsequent meetings addressed proposed changes to the regulations, the draft zoning map, commercial energy-generation facilities and high-intensity technological infrastructure, including large data centers.

The committee concluded its review process this week, with its final meeting held Tuesday, Oct. 13, ahead of Monday’s public hearing.

The proposed ordinance would establish 10 zoning districts covering agricultural, residential, business, industrial and public uses. It would establish rules for where different types of development could be located and identify uses that would be permitted, prohibited or allowed only with additional approval.

A separate section addresses high-intensity technological infrastructure, including large data centers. Under the draft, those developments would be considered conditional uses in heavy industrial districts, requiring additional review.

Commercial electric-generating facilities, including solar farms and wind energy projects, also are addressed in the proposed regulations.

The proposed zoning regulations, zoning map and future land-use map are available for public review online.