Council approves rezoning to permit contractor shop at 5125 Old Boonville Highway

The Evansville Common Council adopted Ordinance R-2025-27 on Nov. 17, 2025, rezoning the parcel commonly known as 5125 Old Boonville Highway and modifying the underlying UDC (Unified Development Code) conditions to remove shared-access requirements and to prohibit adult uses under the proposed UDC.

Cassie Birgeman of the Area Planning Commission presented APC Docket REZ-2025-035 and explained the site's zoning history, noting the block was rezoned in 1995 and that surrounding uses have since transitioned to commercial and industrial. Birgeman said the applicant requests a UDC amendment to allow the property to have its own access drive rather than being required to share access with the neighboring lot; APC recommended approval with a 900affirmative vote.

Scott Beadle of Cash Wagner (transcript also shows a variant spelling) and Associates spoke on behalf of the developer Fee Properties, arguing traffic patterns have changed since 1995 and that a single access drive is appropriate for the proposed contractor shop. Beadle said the contractor seeks to "put up his own shop, have his driveway go into his own property" and emphasized changes in traffic and nearby infrastructure.

A council member asked whether there were remonstrators in the neighborhood; Beadle and the council recorded none. The clerk called the roll and the ordinance was adopted by a 7, 0 vote.

The ordinance was presented as consistent with changed land use conditions in the block despite the 2035 future land use map's residential recommendation for the site; the APC report noted the prior comprehensive-plan recommendation dated from 2015 and cited the lot's vacancy and demolition of the former residence in 2020.