Oldham County technical review questions traffic, stormwater and sewer relocation for proposed 72‑unit residential care building in Crestwood

Oldham County planners and agency reviewers pressed the developer of Choice Landing to update traffic, stormwater and sewer plans after the applicant presented a proposal for a three‑story residential care building with 72 living spaces in Crestwood.

Anna Barge, senior planner with Oldham County Planning and Development, opened the July 16 technical review meeting and reminded attendees that “no decisions are made at this meeting” and that the session is a review opportunity before items go to Planning Commission.

Mike Hill, principal at Land Design and Development, described the proposal as a single three‑story residential care facility on a roughly 3‑acre lot with two access points — one on Celebration Way and one on Apple Patch Way — and said the plan includes parking sized to meet code for employees and residents. He also said an existing Pillar‑owned residential building on the site would remain and would not be altered.

Why it matters: County staff said the new plan represents a significant increase in potential traffic load compared with an earlier, unbuilt approval for three apartment buildings totaling about 32 units. That difference prompted agency reviewers to request updated analyses and permits before the project advances to Planning Commission.

County engineer representative Derek Shade told the applicant that, because the land‑disturbing area will exceed one acre, the project will be required to obtain a KYR‑10 permit from the Kentucky Division of Water and an Oldham County stormwater quality management and erosion control permit. Shade also asked for an updated traffic impact study given the change from a prior, smaller proposal and said the county will expect documentation showing post‑development flows are equivalent to pre‑development flows.

Carrie Gerneman, executive director at Pillar, said the project’s residents largely will not drive: “75 to 80% of the people living here will not be able to drive,” she said, noting most tenants will have intellectual or physical disabilities. County staff said they expect the design team to provide documentation on anticipated trip generation and to discuss that information with the county engineer.

Reviewers raised several technical requirements the applicant must satisfy before construction plans are approved. Oldham County planning staff listed plan corrections such as cul‑de‑sac dimensions, tract bearings and slope evaluation, and a required landscaping and lighting plan to be submitted after Planning Commission approval. Louisville Water noted nearby infrastructure but cautioned that proximity does not constitute service approval; Louisville Water identified nearest main sizes as 8‑ and 12‑inch and a local pressure zone referenced in its comments. Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District staff said MSD’s remaining comment is a downstream facility capacity request and noted that MSD does not manage Oldham County storm sewers.

Shade and other reviewers also flagged stormwater concerns: the detention and basin analyses on file date from 2001 and must be updated to confirm the basin still functions as designed, or the applicant must show how their design will bypass or tie into the basin. Shade said applicants typically achieve required water‑quality treatment with a detention basin or a proprietary unit and asked the design engineer to show curb ramps and ADA compliance in construction plans. The county asked for an AutoCAD file of storm infrastructure later in the process so it can be incorporated into county mapping.

Agency logistics and site details discussed included addressing (the GIS manager said each unit will receive a separate address and advised the applicant to coordinate with the Crestwood Post Office on centralized mail), relocation and re‑granting of sewer easements for the sewer realignment, and coordination on any necessary water main extensions or new service applications with Louisville Water.

No formal actions or votes were taken at the TRC meeting; staff repeatedly noted the meeting’s role as a technical review only. Planning Commission notice will be sent to parties who received notice of the TRC; Planning Commission hearings are held in the same room on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

What remains: the applicant must update the traffic impact study, provide an updated detention/water‑quality analysis, obtain the KYR‑10 and county stormwater permits, coordinate easement releases and re‑grants for the sewer relocation, and submit detailed construction and landscape plans for later review.