Despite opposition from some nearby residents, the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County recommended for approval Thursday night a general development plan amendment that could bring self-storage buildings and a convenience store to acreage in the Alvaton community.

Property owners L.S. and Shelia Cherry applied to amend the binding elements for 3.646 acres at Alvaton, Old Scottsville and Isbell roads to allow development of self-storage units on two acres and possibly a convenience store with a maximum of four gas pumps on the remaining 1.646 acres.

The eight commissioners in attendance approved the application unanimously after hearing from L.S. Cherry and a couple of Alvaton residents who spoke against the development.

Zoned for highway business with a Future Land Use Map designation of “Rural Village,” the property had been restricted to developments of less than 6,000 square feet unless connected to sanitary sewer.

In his application, L.S. Cherry pointed out that sewer is now available in that area. He also cited residential developments such as Olde Stone and September Lakes and others under development that have added economic and physical change to the area.

“This growth in the Alvaton area requires additional supportive development such as fuel, groceries and self-storage to accommodate the additional population,” the Cherrys said in their application.

L.S. Cherry argued that both the self-storage units and a possible Huck’s or IGA convenience store fit with the Rural Village designation, but Isbell Road resident Brian Holton disagrees.

“The storage facilities wouldn’t bother us,” said Holton, who then argued against the convenience store, saying it would create a traffic hazard and damage the appeal of the rural area.

“We feel that it’s not compatible with the Rural Village designation,” he said. “Huck’s is the ugliest of the convenience stores and would have fluorescent lights on all night. It doesn’t fit the neighborhood.”

Jeff Salings, who lives on Old Scottsville Road, also argued against the development before the commissioners voted to approve it.

The planning commission also approved a Detailed Development Plan for expansion at the Kobelco Aluminum Products and Extrusions plant at 18 Kobe Way in Bowling Green. Kobelco is planning to expand its plant by 41,000 square feet, bringing it to a total of 166,800 square feet. Long-range plans call for the plant to expand again in the future, reaching a size of more than 400,000 square feet.

Kobelco Administration Manager Koichi Takagi said the plant, which opened last year, makes aluminum extrusion bumpers and frame components for automobiles. Kobelco, a subsidiary of Japan’s Kobe Steel, currently has 30 employees in Bowling Green. This initial expansion should bring that number to 50, Takagi said. He expects that number to grow to 110 by 2019.

The commission also gave approval to a Detailed Development Plan submitted by Luxury Imports of Bowling Green. The plan will add 4,464 square feet to the car dealership on Three Springs Road. Before moving forward with the expansion, Luxury Imports will need to apply for a zoning change from agriculture to highway business on part of the property.

The commission also approved an application by Joe Neal and Patricia Ballance to rezone 1.72 acres at 1626 Old Springfield Road from agriculture to residential estate and an application by Burton’s Towing to rezone a half-acre tract at Harrison and Bristow roads from residential estate to light industrial.

Gomez Construction LLC got approval from the commission to rezone 5.1 acres on Russellville Road bounded by Petros Browning Road and Jack Smith Road from agriculture to residential estate. The development plan calls for the property to be subdivided into three lots.

The commission denied an application by Lan and Hong Nguyen to rezone 0.2516 acres at 1438 Kenton St. from the RM-3 multi-family designation to the RM-4 multi-family designation that allows denser development.

The planning commission’s actions now must go to either Warren County Fiscal Court or the Bowling Green City Commission for final approval.

After several commissioners indicated that they would be out of town during the first week of October, a motion to cancel the meeting scheduled for Oct. 5 was passed.

The planning commission, temporarily down to 10 members from its full complement of 12 after the recent resignations of Larkin Ritter and Richard Geraghty, is scheduled to meet again Sept. 21.