Commission recommends R-4 initial zoning for 224 Berger Road

The Paducah Planning Commission on April 6 recommended approval of ZON-2026-0001, the initial zoning request assigning R-4 (high-density residential) to property at 224 Berger Road, which is slated for annexation from the county into the city.

Planning staff said the 16,143-square-foot parcel contains a vacant 2,085-square-foot former orthopedic office. The petitioner — identified in the staff report as the doctor who owns the building — asked for R-4 so the site could continue to host medical or professional-office uses that are principally permitted in R-4 and to align the parcel with city planning goals.

Mr. Summers told the commission the requested designation is consistent with the City of Paducah–McCracken County Comprehensive Plan and the Board of Commissioners’ growth priority (Municipal Order 30-28). The staff report and findings of fact read into the record cited preserving character by using the R-4 zone to buffer adjacent single-family homes and to facilitate beneficial reuse.

No members of the public spoke during the required public hearing. Commissioner Jim Chapman moved the recommendation for R-4 and read findings of fact; the subsequent roll-call vote recorded Commissioner Chapman, Commissioner Heath, Commissioner Keeler, Commissioner Rhodes, Commissioner Benberry and Chairman Wade in favor. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of Commissioners for final action.

Key site details cited in the hearing: parcel area 16,143 sq ft; existing building about 2,085 sq ft; prior first reading on March 24, 2026; current county classification is commercial.