Planning Commission - 2026-02-19
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Meeting Summary
The Louisville Metro Planning Commission recommended approval of the Shively Area Plan and its executive summary as an amendment to Plan 2040, following unanimous support from Shively City Council in December 2025. The commission also recommended approval of a rezoning from R-5 to CN neighborhood commercial at 9223 Fern Creek Road for adaptive reuse of a former church as office space, with binding elements limiting certain uses. Additionally, 43 Land Bank-owned properties were recommended for rezoning from EZ-1 Enterprise Zone to various residential and commercial districts to increase compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods.
Key Decisions (6)
Shively Area Plan Adoption
Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Shively Area Plan and its executive summary as an amendment to Plan 2040. The plan was initiated by former Mayor Beverly Chester Burton in 2022 and approved by Shively City Council on December 15, 2025. The plan includes goals for fresh food access, expanded housing options, safe roads, a vibrant town center at Dixie Highway/7th Street Road/Crumbs Lane intersection, increased tree canopy from 22% to 45%, and community sense of place.
Rezoning at 9223 Fern Creek Road
Recommended approval of change in zoning from R-5 single family residential to CN neighborhood commercial for 0.33 acres at 9223 Fern Creek Road. The property is a former church (High Point Church, originally First Methodist Church of Fern Creek established in 1930s) to be adaptively reused as office space for adult day care business administration. Applicant represented by Morgan Potter of DBL Law.
Waiver for 9223 Fern Creek Road Landscape Buffer
Recommended approval of waiver from LDC table 10.2.3 to waive the required 35-foot property perimeter landscape buffer at 9223 Fern Creek Road (case 25 Waiver 0182).
Land Bank EZ-1 Area-Wide Rezoning
Recommended approval of rezoning 43 properties owned by Louisville Metro Land Bank Authority from EZ-1 Enterprise Zone to various residential and commercial districts including R-6, R-7, UN, CM, CR, and C-1. Properties located throughout Portland, downtown, Dixie Highway corridor, and other areas. One property at 654 Davies Avenue recently transferred to private ownership for residential construction was included with owner consent.
Binding Element Appeal at 6405 Chisholm Road
Continued binding element citation appeal to April 23, 2026. Property tenant Barbara Geary and owner Darren Noll appeared regarding violations including vehicles, junk parts, signage, and missing plantings. Tenant is under contract to purchase property and needs time to submit revised detailed district development plan for body shop/car dealer use.
Digital Display Off-Premises Signs Text Amendment
Continued case 25-LDC-0006 to April 2, 2026 for further discussion. The proposed text amendment would allow digital display billboards where static billboards are currently permitted, with exceptions for CN zoning and additions for C-3 downtown zoning. Opposition testimony from local business owners requested consideration of on-premise sign regulations to allow limited third-party advertising.
Zoning Changes (2)
9223 Fern Creek Road
Morgan Potter, DBL Law
43 properties owned by Louisville Metro Land Bank Authority (various locations including South 28th Street, Hale Avenue, Greenwood Avenue, North 17th Street, Anderson Street, Griffith's Avenue, Jefferson Street, Dixie Highway, Howard Street, 7th Street, Lee Street, Davies Avenue, Mix Avenue, Hill Street, South 31st Street, South 15th Street)
Louisville Metro Land Bank Authority
Development Activity (2)
Fern Creek Road Office Conversion
Adaptive reuse of existing church building (0.33 acres) for office use. No site work or structural changes proposed. Existing six-foot wooden fence on west side to remain, fence to be extended to rear property line.
Shively Town Center
Proposed mixed-use retail, residential, and leisure amenities town center. Property already zoned Town Center form district. Part of Shively Area Plan vision.
Market Signals (4)
Housing Demand
Planning Commission expressed concerns about binding out multifamily housing due to fair housing implications, indicating policy preference for maintaining housing flexibility in commercial rezonings.
Commercial Demand
Local business owners testified about need for more affordable advertising options, noting national billboard companies charge $4,000-$10,000 per month, pricing out small businesses.
Infrastructure
Shively Area Plan identifies lack of grocery store within city limits as major community concern, indicating potential opportunity for fresh food retail development.
Sentiment
Staff noted EZ-1 Enterprise Zone properties have historically allowed heavy industrial uses in close proximity to residential areas, with rezoning effort aimed at preventing industrial encroachment and displacement in disproportionately impacted communities.