The City-County Planning Commission of Warren County rejected Thursday a proposal to build a four-story combination commercial and residential complex along Fairview Avenue.

Luke Williams of Construction Design Management LLC had sought recommendation of a zoning change on 1.77 acres at 1125, 1129, 1133 and 1143 Fairview Avenue from single-family residential to highway business.

Bowling Green attorney David Broderick said the development would be a nice addition to the area. Williams said he envisioned an ice cream shop, a clothing store and a fast casual coffee shop-eatery on the first two stories of the 40-foot-tall buildings, with the third and fourth floors residential. Williams said he would be re-locating his Keller-Williams real estate office and encourage some other business people to explore office space.

“I’ve lived within a mile or two of this place and I would look forward to driving to the ice cream shop,” Williams said. “This is not going to be just another strip center.”

Concern was raised about increased traffic in the area between Meadowlawn and Greenlawn avenues, where the property would have frontage – the building in the front along the four-lane road and the parking in the rear. Eighty percent of the proposed parking would either be underground or to the building’s rear.

In a narrative submitted to the planning commission the developer noted, “The planned development is a unique, and desirable, mixed-use development that will bring much-needed commercial development to the area … as well as much-needed multi-family units in a centrally located part of Bowling Green.”

Planning commission member Larkin Ritter asked Williams how he could justify putting a four-story complex in an area where it would be the tallest structure. Ritter said it would change the complexion of the neighborhood. The plan called for an open-air rooftop area for residents. Planning commission staff pointed out the overall height would exceed everything in the Fairview Avenue corridor, excluding church spires.

The development plan called for a discontinuation of single-family residential use in the area past Jan. 1.

“A four-story building is monumental compared to residential buildings,” Ritter said. There was also a concern voiced about liquor sales in the commercial operation, although Williams said there would be no packaged liquor sales.

Planning commission member Tim Huston made a motion for approval of the zoning change, but that motion died for lack of a second. Ritter then motioned to deny the zoning change, which was approved by the planning commission.

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