Residents urge inclusion, preservation and affordable options at South Side revitalization hearing

The Paducah Planning Commission and the Urban Renewal and Community Development Authority (URCDA) held a joint public hearing on June 9 to gather comments on the draft Southside Revitalization Plan. No formal adoption occurred at the meeting; staff said the commission and URCDA will review comments and meet again for a recommendation on July 7.

Staff presentation and process: Planner Mister Stroop presented the draft plan and said it identifies a program area intended to address blighted housing, outline strategies to stabilize conditions and help residents remain in place. Palmer Stroup, a city staff member, told the meeting that notice of the meeting and the draft was posted on the city website and that mailed notices were sent to addresses inside the initial program area — roughly 61 parcels for the first phase — to current residents and, where different, the property owners.

What speakers said: Dozens of residents and stakeholders urged that the scope of outreach be widened, that legacy residents be prioritized, and that preservation and cultural recognition be built into the plan. Mike Muscarella, who identified himself as an executive director at Baptist Health Paducah and a member of the South Side steering committee, told the commission “housing is health care” and praised city staff for seeking resident input. Several speakers asked that mailings go to all South Side residents rather than only those inside the program area. Cheryl Gloria Goodwin asked that future mailings “include all residents” and urged smaller, lower-cost house models (about 750 to 1,000 square feet) be considered for narrow lots.

Other recurring themes included: calls for historic preservation and district designation (raised by Rhonda McCrory Smith of the Paducah Historical Preservation Group), requests for public art to reflect the community’s history (Javanta Dawson), concerns about affordability if new homes are priced above what current residents can pay (Charles Hamilton, Monica Bridal), questions about developer incentives and nonfinancial encouragements to make development feasible (James O’Brien and developer/manager Shalon Hollowell Jeter), and support for the proposed Meharry Medical College connection as a local pathway to health careers and services (Amina Watkins and others).

Technical points and concerns from commenters: A number of residents said they received mailed notices only if their parcel fell inside the program area and asked that future outreach include adjacent blocks; Helen Patterson, who owns property in the area, said the program’s proposed 20% homeowner contribution for a grant/repair program may be unaffordable for many and urged reconsideration of match percentages. Developer comments noted construction costs, labor and materials drive prices and that incentives or subsidy structures will be necessary for affordable new construction.

Formal actions recorded at the meeting: The planning commission opened and closed a public hearing on the plan; the URCDA separately opened a public hearing, voted to “incorporate by reference” all comments and documents presented to the planning commission into the URCDA record, and then closed its hearing. Commissioners indicated the plan and comments will return to the commission on July 7 for a recommendation to the board of commissioners.

Next steps: Staff said they will review the comment cards and transcripts and that the commission will consider forwarding a recommendation (favorable, denial or table) to the board of commissioners at the July 7 meeting. The board of commissioners will set a future date to consider adoption and the plan will be posted on the City of Paducah website when scheduled.