Development inside the city of Bowling Green and outside the city has been about equal since the beginning of July, a new city-county development report shows.

Outside the city limits is experiencing more residential development and the city is seeing more commercial development, according to the recent quarterly report to the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County.

The planning commission has held 40 pre-application conferences from July 1 to Sept. 30, with 28 of those regarding projects in the city and a dozen regarding projects outside the city. Major subdivision approvals during the same time period for projects within Warren County totaled 36 of the 49 approvals by the planning commission.

Between July and September there have been 17 zoning change applications and 10 detailed development plans submitted to the planning commission.

Planning Commission Executive Director Ben Peterson said Monday his staff of 14 including himself is “treading water” to keep up with the speed of development in both sectors.

“We’ve been able to keep up,” he said.

One barometer of development is bonds posted for projects. Fifty-five total bonds were posted in the first quarter of the current fiscal year that began July 1, 26 in the city and 29 outside. Bonds for the time, totaled $10.6 million, with $7.9 million being for projects outside the city.

The increased residential and commercial development tracks with an area where 600 jobs remain open and economic development ribbon-cuttings for new businesses or industries occur frequently.

Peterson said the current numbers surpass those posted in 2005-06, the last big city-county development boom prior to Kentucky’s and the nation’s recession.

In the quarter, the planning commission gave the green light to 19 zone change recommendations within the city and 25 outside, four zone change applications were denied – two each for the city and the county.

Peterson said the speed and breadth of development, particularly residential development outside the city, also creates growing pains.

Sewer has now been run to both Alvaton and Plano elementary schools and also out Three Springs Road, he said, and where sewer lines go out, residential development follows. 

“It’s a requirement that a developer has to connect to sewer if the development is within 2,000 feet of the sewer line,” Peterson said. The standard was put in place to account for the area’s karst topography.

“It is better to be on sewer than septic (system),” he said.

— Follow business reporter Charles A. Mason on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.