Planning Commission sends unfavorable rezoning recommendation for 933 West Jackson Street over flood‑risk and public‑safety concerns

The Shelbyville Planning Commission voted to send an unfavorable recommendation to city council on a rezoning request for 933 West Jackson Street, a roughly 11.15‑acre parcel the applicants said would accommodate duplex and single‑family units.

The commission’s objection focused on flood risk and emergency access. Public commenter Chuck Glover, who lives on Jackson Street, urged the commission to bar the change and warned of downstream flood releases: “That’s 46 dump trucks a second. That’s a lot of water, folks,” he said, emphasizing the magnitude of peak flows he cited from a 2021 article.

Staff described the request as a deed‑description rezoning seeking to preserve an existing single‑family home and allow 16 new units in duplex form on lots 2–9 while retaining other acreage as light industrial. Commissioners and staff noted that FEMA has only partially evaluated Bedford County and that base flood elevations for much of the area have not been established, creating uncertainty about how high structures must be raised to mitigate flood risk.

Commission discussion also raised the possibility of spot zoning, the loss of industrial land the commission did not want to relinquish, and practical emergency‑response concerns. Chairman Landers asked commissioners to state their reasons on the record before voting; several members cited public‑safety and split‑zoning as primary reasons for opposition. One commissioner stated, “I just don’t like giving up industrial land,” while others emphasized difficulty guaranteeing emergency‑vehicle access during a major flood event.

Applicant Courtney Clardy told the commission the family is willing to work with FEMA and engineers and said they planned to “work with FEMA and work with engineers” to mitigate risk and design durable structures. She also offered to consider alternatives such as adjusting the extent of the area rezoned to address density concerns.

Outcome and next step: The commission’s unfavorable recommendation will be forwarded to the Shelbyville City Council for final action. Commissioners recorded their reasons for the record; city council will receive the full staff report and the commission’s recommendation at a future meeting.