City-County Planning Commission approves Med Center Health development plan, recommends zone change

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

Despite the 11 degree temperature, the commissioners — some on Zoom and some in-person — joined Planning Director Kevin Myatt for the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Joint City-County Planning Commission. Among the items on the agenda included a “Preliminary and Final Development Plan” of the upcoming Med Center Health Facility and a public hearing an a requested zone change in Cave City.

The development plan — prepared by Arnold Consulting Engineering Services — detailed the proposed design of the 21,476 sq. ft. Med Center Health building that would be locating on S.L. Rogers Wells Blvd.

The Medical Center, the company that purchased the roughly 4.86 acres of land, announced in November 2023 that this medical office building would be one of three for which construction would begin in the spring of this year and feature “specialty clinics and outpatient diagnostic testing.”

With the staff report finding that the proposed plan did comply with Glasgow Zoning Code, featured the appropriate parking spaces — and ADA parking spaces — followed the landscaping provision appropriate to its Highway Service Business District designation and had signatures from all the appropriate personnel, the commissioners unanimously approved the plan.

The representatives, both from Med Center and Arnold Consulting Engineering Services, that were present at the meeting had nothing to add before the vote.

Also on the agenda was a zone change application for the three acres of 115 Gardner Lane in Cave City from a general business district to a light industrial district. According to Myatt the applicant, Joginder Pal, and V.J. Garcia Inc., asked for the change because “the individual has a semi-truck trailer repair business and would like to build a repair shop there [to] use for towing business.”

“He is not using the property for salvaging vehicles, which would not be permitted in the [Light Industrial District] classification,” Myatt said. “It is strictly for repair.”

Though the zone change application fell under the public hearing section of the agenda, and advanced notification was given before the hearing as dictated in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, no members of the public attended the meeting. As such, after Myatt’s staff report, the commissioners unanimously approved to recommend the change to the Cave City City Council for its consideration after the commission approved its minutes in February.

In an attempt to mitigate delays to applicants, the Barren County Subdivision Regulation Review Committee will be hosting a public meeting in the fiscal court chambers on Jan. 30 from 5 to 6 p.m. to “update potential changes to the Sub Reg’s text including staff review of lots not involving new streets and agriculture exemptions.” Myatt said these potential changes, especially staff review of lots, will help reduce the lag time between when people apply for a subdivision or variance and when they receive an official decision.

In tandem with that, the planning commission will have a public meeting on Jan. 30 in the Barren County Fiscal Court chambers from 5 to 6 p.m. to receive public input regarding their “Goals and Objectives element of the proposed 2024 Comprehensive Plan.”

“The Comprehensive Plan is a guide for all of Barren County and its Cities for future growth in all aspects, i.e., workforce, land use, transportation, education, health and so on,” Myatt wrote in an email. “It plays a vital role in how we assess the overall health of our County and how we can mitigate potential issues that may arise.”