Fayette County commissioners deny two rezoning requests for proposed commerce and industry complex
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Summary
The Board of Commissioners denied two related rezoning petitions from Brent Holdings to convert about 57 acres on SR 85 into an M-1 commerce/industry complex, citing inconsistency with the county's Land Use Plan and resident concerns; both denials passed 3-2.
Fayette County commissioners voted Dec. 12 to deny two related rezoning requests from Brent Holdings that would have rezoned roughly 57 acres along State Route 85 to M-1 light industrial.
The petitions—1358-24-A (2.242 acres) and 1358-24-B (55.066 acres)—would have converted parcels now zoned A-R and C-H to M-1 to permit a commerce and industry complex including small industrial buildings and a large distribution warehouse. Planning and Zoning Director Deborah Bell told the Board staff and the Planning Commission recommended denial because the county’s Comprehensive Plan designates the area as Commercial, not M-1 industrial.
Attorney Steven L. Jones, representing the applicant, told commissioners the corridor had trended toward nonresidential uses and cited a prior, smaller M-1 approval as precedent. Jones described a range of permitted M-1 uses, including light manufacturing, medical labs, and data centers, and said the project team had discussed the concept with county economic development staff.
Residents who spoke in opposition raised environmental and neighborhood concerns. Julianna Terpstra and Elaine Kilgore cited wildlife impacts, stormwater runoff and traffic; Issac Logan and others urged a larger buffer and a continued residential character for adjacent neighborhoods. Resident commenters also said they opposed data centers in particular.
Commissioner Charles D. Rousseau, who moved to deny both petitions, said the Comprehensive Plan process exists to weigh such corridor changes and that he favored review with broader citizen input rather than approving a large rezoning from the dais. Vice Chairman Edward Gibbons joined Rousseau in the motion to deny. The Board voted 3-2 on each petition; Chairman Lee Hearn and Commissioner Eric K. Maxwell voted in opposition to the denials.
The denials leave the property under its existing zoning protections; commissioners discussed adding the corridor to the next Comprehensive Plan review. No binding development approvals followed from the hearing; any future application would need to comply with zoning and subdivision rules and any additional conditions the Board might set.
What’s next: Commissioners said the corridor should be reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Plan process to allow public input on suitable uses and buffers. The Board’s official action on both petitions was to deny (1358-24-A and 1358-24-B).