The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Grocery plan draws neighbor opposition
Tucker Station Road project to be discussed
A plan to build a grocery-anchored development in southeastern Jefferson County is facing opposition ahead of a public meeting this week.
Marketplace at Tucker Station Road would transform a mostly vacant, grassed 12-acre plot at 12515 Taylorsville Road into a retail hub including a 51,000-square-foot grocery store, a bank, and two retail shops.
Since the project was introduced last year, area residents have voiced concerns that the project is too big and goes against established development principles for the area as outlined in the 2008 Tyler Rural Settlement District Neighborhood Plan and the 2010 Tyler Town Center planned development district.
Now, leadership at the nearby Blackacre Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the 280-acre Blackacre State Nature Preserve & Historic Homestead, is denouncing the plans.
“This proposed development presents a significant threat to over 44 years of work invested in preserving this historical and environmental treasure,” said Don Wenzel, a member of Blackacre’s board of directors, in a news release earlier this month.
Blackacre said it sits about 800 feet from the proposed development, which it argues will create safety concerns and traffic congestion.
Buck Wiseman, Blackacre board president, added the proposed rezoning would negate the area’s district plan and set a precedent for ignoring other such districts in Jefferson County.
WMG Development, a Florida- and Illinois-based real estate company first filed to rezone the property to C-1 commercial in June 2023, the Courier Journal previously reported.
A rezoning is required as the proposed grocery development is larger than what is currently allowed (a 20,000-square-foot maximum) under existing planned development district zoning rules.
In a statement, WMG Development emphasized how the project would add amenities to the area and include roadway upgrades.
“The proposed development will bring a much-needed grocery alternative to the area, will provide significant and needed roadway improvements to both Taylorsville Road and Tucker Station Road, and will provide the last piece of land needed for the construction of the Urton Lane corridor, a corridor that will ultimately separate the core of the historic district from the busy Taylorsville Road corridor, ensuring the historic district’s survival,” the statement read.
The developer has cited “rapid residential expansion in the area” in its rezoning request and said it is “attempting to meet the spirit of the (planned development district) while responding to the market demand for additional grocery options in the area.”
The planned development is very close to the Tyler Retail Village, a Kroger-anchored shopping center that includes a fuel station, McDonald’s, Starbucks, El Nopal and other commercial spaces.
The Planning Commission is set to hear the case at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at The Jeffersonian, 10617 Taylorsville Road. It’s tasked with issuing a recommendation to approve or deny the project to the Louisville Metro Council, which has the final say.
In its assessment of the project, staff with the city’s Planning and Design Services department also took issue with aspects of the development.
“Although the site is located along an arterial roadway and adequate population exists in the area to support a wide variety of commercial services at this location, the proposal is not consistent with the Tyler Rural Settlement Neighborhood Plan,” reads the staff report.
Staff found that while a grocery store use was in keeping with the area – noting the nearby Kroger – the scale of the project was inconsistent with standards for the area.
“The zoning change would however represent a significant expansion of the intensity and scale of permitted commercial development in the area …” the report reads.
City staff did note that the developer has agreed to roadway improvements to help mitigate anticipated pressure on those roadways.
The planning commission will also consider the staff report in its upcoming public meeting.
In letters submitted to the city, nearby residents and other concerned Louisvillians expressed dismay that the plans governing the development of the area could be overridden.
They also voiced concerns about the increased traffic the project would generate.
“This corridor is not designed for this type of development and this is not what we signed up for as area property owners,” wrote nearby resident Edis Veladzic.
“The prospect of approving development inconsistent with the recommendations of the Neighborhood Plan begs the question of why Metro would have undertaken the expense and the time to craft (it),” wrote David Barnes, who lives across Tucker Station Road. “This is a slippery slope.”