Mark 12 outlines Pathway Home model for proposed 'Grace Village'; residents press council on zoning and enforcement

Nathan Young, pastor at Mercy Hill Church and a member of the Mark 12 Ministries board, presented the Pathway Home transitional-housing model to the Shepherdsville City Council on Oct. 27 and described a proposed site called Grace Village.

“This is not a homeless shelter,” Young said. He described Pathway Home as “an outcome‑based transitional housing program, where we provide room, board, transportation, case management, and mentoring for anywhere from 6 to 14 months,” and added that program graduates are expected to secure employment, stable housing and transportation. Young said the program conducts background checks, drug testing and requires participants to agree to policies including random drug tests and a strict schedule; he said the program will not accept people with active addiction or violent felony histories.

Young described Grace Village as six bunk houses, a community building and an on‑site director’s house; two bunk houses would be reserved for veterans and the maximum program capacity would be 12. He said the site would be fenced and gated with security cameras and key-fob access, and the director would live on site. He also said Mark 12 is a 501(c)(3) that relies heavily on thrift-store revenue and private donations.

Several residents raised long-standing concerns about the proposed site and about nearby properties. One resident (identified in the meeting as “Sam”) said he had contacted zoning staff and was told the application had references to a “homeless shelter / tourist camp,” and alleged persistent code-enforcement problems at nearby properties. Residents asked the council to enforce security measures and use site visits to verify that the program matches public statements.

Mayor Jose and other council members emphasized transparency and enforcement. The mayor said he invited residents and council members to inspect the program and told Mark 12 representatives that if the operation did not match what they had described, the city would take action. The mayor said code enforcement and court processes can take time but promised to follow up.

During discussion of related zoning paperwork, Council member Bonnie Enlom moved to withdraw ordinance 025039 — citing a threatened lawsuit from a Christian group and a desire to avoid spending city funds on litigation — and Council member Brad seconded. The council voted to withdraw the ordinance (motion passed). Enlom said the withdrawal was to protect other citizens from legal costs and to follow correct procedures.

The council asked Mark 12 and community members to continue dialogue and invited volunteers to observe and participate in program oversight. No rezoning or land‑use approval for Grace Village was completed at the Oct. 27 meeting; council action instead focused on removal of the ordinance from the agenda and on encouraging transparent, verifiable program commitments.