Planning commission approves waivers for Harmony Hills pool parking and landscape buffer

The Oldham County Planning Commission voted 9-0 on March 25 to grant two waivers requested by the owners of the former Harmony Hills swim club at 1222 Cliffwood Drive in Goshen, allowing a reduced perimeter landscape screen and a smaller parking lot than required by county zoning rules.

The applicant sought a waiver of the vehicular use area perimeter landscape buffer (the VULBA requirement under the Oldham County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, section 300-050) and a waiver of the minimum off-street parking required for a clubhouse with pool (section 280-060). The owner proposes to renovate the vacant swim-club facility on a 4.27-acre R-2 zoned parcel into a private club with a 4,500-square-foot clubhouse, pool and recreational courts, and to install a 50-space parking lot instead of the 68 spaces required by ordinance.

Why it matters: County staff and the applicant said the waivers balance neighborhood safety and stormwater concerns against strict compliance. County staff documented past nuisance and code-enforcement activity at the site — four enforcement cases since 2018 and mosquito complaints tied to stagnant water — and the Oldham County Board of Adjustments on March 20 granted a conditional use permit for private-club use with a condition barring on-street parking for events. Planning staff noted the applicant submitted about 40 letters of support for the project.

Staff presentation and engineer review: Planning staff described the parcel and the two waiver requests and provided the outreach timeline. Oldham County Engineer Jim Silliman said he appreciated the applicant’s effort to limit impervious surface to reduce stormwater impacts, but he and staff raised concern about neighborhood traffic and the potential for on-street parking if events such as swim meets occur. Silliman, who oversees stormwater and road matters, said proposed detention and future construction plans will be subject to stormwater review.

Applicant’s case: Attorney Mike Swansberg and applicant Beth McBride presented the redevelopment plan and explained the request to omit a continuous 3-foot-high buffer along the 35-foot separation between the parking area and Cliffwood Drive. Swansberg said the owners want the parking and lot visible to reduce vandalism and provide “transparency” that helps security, citing the site’s long vacancy and prior vandalism as an “attractive nuisance.” He described the parking design as a 50-space lot with a two-way entrance, a turnaround/drop-off circle, and 15 bicycle parking spaces to encourage local, nonvehicle access. Engineer Emily Estes said the “short term” spaces on the plan are intended for flexible drop-off use rather than a fixed time limit.

Commission discussion and votes: Commissioners raised questions about whether the lot is within a subdivision or subject to subdivision restrictions, the count and function of short-term parking spaces, access for emergency vehicles and refuse, and enforcement of the no-on-street-parking condition. Commissioner Jones moved approval of the buffer waiver, saying strict compliance would create undue hardship and that the project would achieve the ordinance’s objectives; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Elder and passed 9-0. Commissioner Krauss moved approval of the parking-waiver request (a reduction of 18 spaces from the ordinance requirement), adding the same condition that the waiver apply only to the plan presented; that motion also passed 9-0.

Conditions and next steps: Both waivers were approved with the condition that they apply only to the plan reviewed by the Planning Commission at the March 25 public hearing. Staff and the applicant said future construction plans, stormwater detention design and permitting, and any expansion of impervious area would be reviewed before building permits are issued. The Board of Adjustments’ conditional-use approval likewise included a binding element prohibiting on-street parking for events at the facility.

Context and caveats: The commission’s approvals do not change zoning; they grant site-specific waivers tied to the submitted plan. Staff emphasized enforcement will be necessary if on-street parking occurs. The applicant said they would enforce parking rules and, if demand requires it, could seek additional approvals to expand parking later.

Votes at a glance: - Waiver of vehicular use area perimeter landscape buffer (Section 300-050): motion by Commissioner Jones; second Commissioner Elder. Roll call: Miss Davis — yes; Mr. Douglas — yes; Mr. Elder — yes; Miss Krauss — yes; Mr. Fox — yes; Miss Jones — yes; Mr. Klingenfoos — yes; Miss Walzer — yes; Mr. Marsh — yes. Outcome: approved, 9-0. - Waiver of minimum parking requirement (Section 280-060): motion by Commissioner Krauss; second Miss Davis. Roll call: same nine commissioners voting yes. Outcome: approved, 9-0.

What’s next: The applicant will proceed with detailed construction and stormwater plans and must comply with the conditional-use permit conditions (including no on-street parking) and county permitting requirements before the club reopens or holds events.