Glasgow City Council approves rezoning for planned senior housing development
The rezoning passed despite opposition from three council members: Marna Kirkpatrick, Randy Wilkinson and Freddie Norris. Councilmember Elizabeth Shoemaker was absent.
GLASGOW, Ky. — The Glasgow City Council voted Monday evening to approve a rezoning request for a portion of property along West Washington Street where a 75-unit senior housing facility is planned.
The nearly three-acre property at 318 W. Washington St. includes the former Howard Clinic building, which most recently housed the Barren County Health Department.
The council’s approval changes the property’s zoning to R-4, allowing medium-density multifamily housing. The change is necessary for the proposed three-story Highland Heights development, a joint effort between the Housing Authority of Glasgow and Wabuck Development.
The rezoning passed despite opposition from three council members: Marna Kirkpatrick, Randy Wilkinson and Freddie Norris. Councilmember Elizabeth Shoemaker was absent.
Council members weigh preservation concerns
Before the vote, council members debated the potential loss of a building with historical significance and whether an alternative location could accommodate the proposed development.
The former Howard Clinic is a contributing structure within Glasgow’s Southwest Residential Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Residents opposing the project have argued that the building could be redeveloped without demolition.
Wilkinson said that while he did not consider himself a “history buff,” he recognized the public’s interest in preserving the area.
“It’s hard for me to ignore that many people that have an interest in that area,” Wilkinson said. “I’m not going to ignore that.”
He pointed to a recent walking tour of West Washington Street hosted by the Barren County Historical Society that drew dozens of participants.
Kirkpatrick suggested the city consider using its Johnson Property along Cleveland Avenue for the senior housing development.
The city owns the property and plans to pursue a mix of residential, recreational and retail uses. Requests for proposals for the project are currently open.
“I feel like we have property, instead of moving forward with demolishing this building, with so many opposed to doing so,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, citing her “love” for Sheri Lee, director of the Housing Authority of Glasgow, and asking Lee not to take her position personally.
However, Kirkpatrick said the council had a responsibility to listen to residents.
“I really do value growth and progress. As councilmembers, I feel, along with all of our responsibilities, it is our duty to listen to the citizens,” she said. “The majority that has reached out to me are opposed in moving forward with this ordinance.”
Developers have said finding another suitable location would be difficult.
In an October fact sheet, the project team said it had identified another potentially suitable property, but the owner was unwilling to sell. The team also cited the competitive nature of affordable housing funding and the importance of a property’s location in qualifying for financing.
Brennan Crain
Councilman Joe Trigg disagreed with Kirkpatrick and Wilkinson, arguing that the council owed the Joint City-County Planning Commission an apology for delaying the vote.
“We’re setting a bad precedent by overriding the body that we established to make these kind of zoning decisions,” Trigg said, in an apparent reference to the City Council’s role in appointing members to the Planning Commission’s 12-member board.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the rezoning on Aug. 17 after holding a due process-style hearing.
The City Council has final authority over rezoning requests within city limits, while the commission conducts hearings, makes findings of fact and forwards recommendations to the appropriate legislative body under state law.
Trigg suggested that residents concerned about the building’s potential demolition work to purchase the property themselves and preserve it.
“If the historic district or members of the community feel as strong as they say they do, then maybe they should get together, go back to the county, and offer them whatever it takes to purchase that property,” Trigg said.
Barren County owns the property and has agreed to let the Housing Authority of Glasgow partner with Wabuck Development on the project.
Trigg also opposed the suggestion to locate the senior housing facility at the Johnson Property, arguing that doing so would conflict with the site’s originally envisioned uses.
Lawsuit delayed rezoning decision
The council previously voted 7-2 at its Oct. 12 meeting to table the rezoning request while a lawsuit challenging the Planning Commission’s recommendation was pending.
The council agreed to revisit the matter once the lawsuit was resolved.
The case was dismissed Oct. 19 after Barren County Circuit Judge John T. Alexander determined that the residents had not named Barren County Fiscal Court, which owns the property, as a defendant.
The judge did not rule on the merits of the residents’ objections to the proposed rezoning. It is unclear if they plan to refile the lawsuit.
The ordinance received its first reading on Oct. 12. City Attorney Rich Alexander clarified that although the council has traditionally voted on ordinances after both readings, state law requires two readings but only one vote, taken after the second reading.
“I think they’ve always voted after the first reading to run it up the flagpole,” Alexander said. “This is not a legal term, but I believe they have always done it to get the temperature of the body.”
Alexander also explained that state law requires a majority of the full council to override a Planning Commission recommendation on a rezoning matter. For Glasgow’s nine-member council, that means at least five members must vote against the recommendation.
What happens next?
Although the property was rezoned Monday, the senior housing project must still obtain the necessary pre-construction approvals, including building permits and any required development plan approvals.
As of Monday, a formal development plan had not been submitted to the Planning Commission. Project advocates released additional information last week, including a rendering of the proposed development.
The rendering differs from a preliminary site plan submitted as part of the rezoning request. It depicts many of the mature trees in front of the former Howard Clinic remaining in place, while the preliminary site plan appears to show the complex occupying more of the nearly three-acre property.
“We recognize the importance of the mature trees and green space along West Washington Street, and we intend to preserve as much of the existing front landscaping as reasonably possible,” said April Bowman, a development officer with Wabuck Development.
“Our goal is to bring a much-needed $18.3 million investment and 75 affordable apartments for elderly residents to Glasgow while constructing an attractive, well-designed development that complements the surrounding neighborhood.”
The proposed Highland Heights development would include 75 one-bedroom apartments for seniors in a three-story building.
Wabuck Development and the Housing Authority of Glasgow are also working to secure New Markets Tax Credits to help finance the $18.3 million project.
