Glasgow council faces West Washington decision as developers cite limited options
The development team’s letter to city council members asks officials to consider the proposed investment, the need for affordable housing, the property’s condition and applicable zoning requirements.
What you need to know:
- Highland Heights is a proposed $18.3 million development with 75 one-bedroom apartments for elderly residents at 318 W. Washington St.
- Developers say finding another site would be difficult because affordable housing funding is competitive and another property they considered was unavailable.
- Residents oppose demolishing the former Howard Clinic, citing its historic significance and concerns about the development’s impact on the neighborhood.
- A judge dismissed residents’ lawsuit over a procedural error, leaving their underlying objections unresolved.
- The proposed site plan includes 96 parking spaces, and developers estimate the project would generate more than $36,000 annually in combined city and county property taxes.
GLASGOW, Ky. — If Highland Heights cannot be built on West Washington Street, developers say finding another location for the proposed senior apartment complex would be difficult.
The proposed $18.3 million development would provide 75 one-bedroom apartments designated for elderly residents through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Leitchfield-based Wabuck Development is partnering with the HERO Foundation and the Housing Authority of Glasgow on the project. Wabuck Development also built Maddox Manor near Red Cross Elementary School.
In an October 2026 fact sheet, the development team said affordable housing funding is highly competitive and a property’s location can affect its chances of receiving funding through the Kentucky Housing Corporation.
The corporation evaluates location-specific factors, including employment-related measures within small geographic areas known as block groups. As a result, nearby properties can receive different evaluations, according to the fact sheet.
The team said it identified one other potentially suitable property, but its owner was unwilling to sell. Developers described the West Washington Street site as a combination of competitive location, practical suitability, availability and an opportunity for redevelopment.
Housing needs and affordability
The development team cited Barren County’s growing older population as part of the need for additional affordable housing.
The county’s 2024 comprehensive plan reported a 38.7% increase in residents age 65 and older between 2000 and 2020. That age group is projected to represent about 25% of the county’s population by 2050.
The proposed apartments are intended for elderly residents. The developers also stated in the fact sheet that Highland Heights would not be a halfway house or correctional transitional facility.
To illustrate the need for affordable housing, the fact sheet cites an average monthly Social Security retirement benefit of $1,866 in December 2024.
The document uses an illustrative housing cost of $560 per month, including utilities. Under that example, a resident would have approximately $1,306 remaining each month before other expenses.
The developers noted that actual incomes, rents and benefit deductions vary. The example does not establish the final rents for Highland Heights.
Residents cite historic preservation concerns
The proposal has drawn opposition from residents who question whether the former Barren County Health Department building should be demolished to make way for new apartments.
Also known as the former Howard Clinic, the building is a contributing structure within Glasgow’s Southwest Residential Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Josh and Terryn Francis, two prominent opponents of the proposal, have said they support senior housing but believe the property could be redeveloped without demolishing the historic building.
The couple, who live on West Washington Street, began researching the building’s history after learning it was slated for demolition.
Brennan Crain
Their research connected the property to Dr. C.C. Howard, a physician who came to Glasgow in 1912 and later opened Maplewood Infirmary, described in their research as Glasgow’s first hospital.
Howard helped expand local medical services, including bringing X-ray technology to Glasgow and helping secure funding for the hospital that later became T.J. Samson Community Hospital.
The Francises argue that preserving the building would help maintain the neighborhood’s history and character.
“If you are constantly chipping away at your historic districts, at the things that make your community have a bit of character, then what sets us apart from any other new city?” Terryn Francis said in an earlier interview with Barrenside.
Residents have also raised concerns about the development’s density, traffic, infrastructure and effects on the surrounding neighborhood.
Six residents filed a lawsuit challenging the Joint City-County Planning Commission’s Aug. 17 rezoning recommendation. A judge dismissed the case Oct. 19 because the residents had not named the Barren County Fiscal Court, which owns the property, as a party.
The dismissal did not address the merits of the residents’ objections or determine whether the proposed rezoning was justified.
The residents acknowledged the procedural error and said they were consulting with an attorney to understand their remaining options.
The development team, meanwhile, has cited structural and environmental concerns with the existing clinic building, including mold, asbestos and lead-based paint.
The team’s fact sheet says the building is not individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, although part of the property lies within a historic district. Those are separate designations; the building’s status as a contributing structure is part of the residents’ preservation concerns.
Developers have said traditional architectural details are being considered for the proposed apartments and that opportunities to commemorate the property’s history could be explored as part of redevelopment.
Parking and the proposed site
The proposed site plan includes 96 off-street parking spaces for the 75 apartments, including five accessible spaces. That amounts to approximately 1.28 spaces per apartment.
The property is also located on a public transportation route. A covered bus stop has been discussed, but it has not been approved.
The development would replace the former clinic and nearby greenspace. Developers cite structural and environmental concerns with the existing building as part of the rationale for redevelopment.
Projected investment and property taxes
The development team estimates Highland Heights would represent an $18.3 million investment and generate more than $36,000 annually in combined city and county property taxes.
Wabuck Development is listed as a co-developer alongside the HERO Foundation and the Housing Authority of Glasgow. Clayton Watkins is identified as the proposed contractor, and Homeland is identified as the proposed property manager.
The fact sheet describes the building illustration as conceptual, noting that the design and project details remain subject to approval.
The development team’s letter to city council members asks officials to consider the proposed investment, the need for affordable housing, the property’s condition and applicable zoning requirements.
The Joint City-County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a zoning map amendment following a public hearing Aug. 17.
The property was previously zoned R-2, a residential district intended primarily for single-family homes and other low-density residential uses, including up to four-family dwellings.
The proposed R-4 designation allows medium-density multifamily housing, including garden apartments, condominiums and townhouses, and can serve as a transition between major streets or commercial areas and lower-density residential neighborhoods.
The Glasgow City Council must approve the recommendation for the rezoning to take effect. Council members voted 7-2 on Oct. 12 to table the recommendation while the lawsuit was pending.
The lawsuit’s dismissal did not itself approve the rezoning. The council’s decision remains a separate matter, and the future of the proposed development remains tied to the property’s zoning and approval process.
Developers say the West Washington Street property offers a combination of location, availability and suitability that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere.
