Shepherdsville council hears public testimony on proposed Dollar General at West Blue Lick Road; no vote taken

Shepherdsville City Council held a public hearing Tuesday on a proposal to rezone a portion of a 4.62-acre property on West Blue Lick Road to allow a Dollar General store, but took no final action.

The developer’s representative presented a revised site plan the council and staff said reflects recommendations from the Bullitt County Joint Planning Commission, which gave the proposal a unanimous favorable recommendation. The applicant told the council part of the site is currently in the county and would be annexed into the city if the zoning and subsequent steps are approved.

City staff described the proposal as a neighborhood retail use intended to serve surrounding multifamily and mobile-home properties. Emily (applicant representative) said the building would sit outside the floodplain, that detention basins are included in the plan and “all drainage will be reviewed and approved by the city.” She also described a proposed pedestrian connection from the adjacent mobile-home park and said the applicant had agreed to a set of restrictions requested by the planning commission.

The planning commission’s conditions, reflected in the revised site plan and written restrictions, included a requirement to negotiate a pedestrian easement with the adjacent property owner, grant a 20-foot drainage easement to the city in support of future road widening, and limit uses on the site to lawful retail activity.

Supporters from the business community spoke in favor at the public hearing. Chris Sims, a local car-dealership owner who said he purchased several nearby parcels, told council members the location would be a convenience for residents and that he “bought the 5 acres next to this property to expand my dealership,” and had “no problem with it.”

Several neighbors said they appreciated the convenience but urged the council to prioritize pedestrian safety. “My main concern is that what are we doing for that crossing if this is going in? What are we doing to protect it? There’s no stoplight there,” one neighborhood resident said, asking the council to pursue crosswalks or other measures. Council members and staff noted the road in question is state‑maintained and said they would open discussions with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet about pedestrian crossings and signage, though officials cautioned state approval depends on traffic‑volume criteria.

Council members also pressed the applicant on site details: planned landscaping to screen the parking area from West Blue Lick Road, delivery truck movements (the applicant said deliveries are typically twice weekly and early morning), and whether the detention basin would be fenced. Staff said fence requirements would follow the city’s code where appropriate and that the site plan included screening and pedestrian connections designed to limit cut‑through vehicle traffic through the neighboring residential property.

Because the item was heard as a public hearing and the annexation and related county approvals remain pending, the council did not vote on the rezoning ordinance at the meeting. Staff said the developer will return with any required changes and the city will process the annexation and the zoning ordinance in subsequent meetings. The Bullitt County fiscal court has completed first reading on the county portion and is scheduled for its second reading.

The council and staff said they will pursue discussions with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet about pedestrian safety measures and confirmed the city would require the drainage and pedestrian easements specified in the planning‑commission recommendation before any rezoning is finalized.