Daviess County court holds first reading on rezoning for 1651 Parish Plaza Drive amid debate over recovery-focused housing

Daviess County Fiscal Court on Aug. 21 took up a first reading of an ordinance to change zoning for a 6.103-acre parcel at 1651 Parish Plaza Drive from B4 (general business) to R3MF (multifamily residential). The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the change after its July 10 meeting; the court reviewed the commission’s record and allowed clarifying questions and public comment. No vote was taken; the matter will return for a final vote at the court’s next meeting.

The proposal, described in materials from the planning office and by the developer’s counsel, would allow roughly 44 multifamily units on the site. Center for Addiction Recovery and a development partner intend to seek Low Income Housing Tax Credit funding from the Kentucky Housing Corporation and plan a project that, if funded, would give a targeted preference — discussed in the record as up to 80% of units — to people in recovery from substance use. Cody Duvall, legal counsel for the developer, told the…