Housing Authority of Bowling Green Executive Director Abraham Williams, shown speaking at a 2019 HABG event, saw his plan for an 80-unit housing development on HABG property approved last Thursday by the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County.

Two months after Warren Fiscal Court approved using federal funds to help the Housing Authority of Bowling Green with infrastructure costs on a planned housing development, that plan is moving forward.

The Housing Authority got approval Thursday from the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County for a rezoning expected to lead to an 80-unit development aimed at meeting a growing need for affordable housing.

Fiscal court in February voted to give the HABG $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to finance infrastructure on a 23-acre site along Double Springs Road near Housing Authority headquarters.

HABG Executive Director Abraham Williams said that funding will allow his public housing agency to lower the cost of the lots and allow builders to construct affordable houses.

“We have a lot of hardworking folks who want to make the next step to home ownership,” Williams said. “We’re hoping these houses will be in the price range of $160,000 to $180,000.”

That’s a price range that’s sorely needed in a Bowling Green housing market that is experiencing a housing shortage and a dearth of houses suitable for first-time buyers.

Williams said his plan is to find “three or four different builders” to put up houses of at least 1,200 square feet with one-car garages.

His application to rezone the property to single-family residential was approved in a 6-0 vote by the planning commission and will go to fiscal court for final approval.

“As soon as we get that approval, we’ll go out to bid for the infrastructure,” Williams said. “Then we’ll work on locating builders.”

The HABG project was among a number of large and small residential developments getting approval in the latest planning commission meeting.

Builder Mike Hymer, also aiming to add to the county’s inventory of affordable houses, was approved for a plan to build 20 single-family houses and 5,000 square feet of commercial space on 6.3 acres at 10141 Alvaton Road.

The plan proposed by Hymer and property owner Bradley S. Kirby calls for building 20 houses of at least 1,030 square feet along with a commercial structure.

“We’re trying to do affordable housing,” Hymer said in explaining the small size of the houses.

The rezoning from agriculture to planned unit development was approved unanimously and will go to fiscal court for final approval.

A 14-lot single-family development along New Cut Road and near H.E. Johnson Road also won approval.

The plan proposed by Darrell Oliver and Ben Hansbrough of the Oliver and Hansbrough Development Partners LLC calls for houses of at least 1,800 square feet with two-car garages.

It passed unanimously and will move on to fiscal court.

Also winning unanimous approval was a plan from Chris McGehee of the WCM Land LLC to build nine single-family houses on 21.3 acres bordered by Ayers Road, Porter Pike and Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road.

Despite concerns about adding traffic on the narrow Ayers Road, the plan to build houses of at least 1,500 square feet with two-car garages won approval and will move on to fiscal court.

Also approved at the meeting was a plan from Christopher and Lindsay Walden to build three single-family residences on 4.9 acres at 187 Porter Thornton Road.

Despite concerns expressed by Commissioner Sandy Clark of Plum Springs about putting the three houses on the narrow Porter Thornton Road, the application for a Future Land Use Map amendment passed 5-3 and the application to rezone the property from agriculture to residential estate and rural residential passed 4-2.

The Waldens’ plan to build three houses of at least 1,700 square feet will go to fiscal court for final approval.

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.