The fate of a concrete plant planned along Nashville Road isn’t set in stone; in fact, it now has some cracks in its foundation.

Indiana-based Irving Materials Inc., seeking a Future Land Use Map amendment as the first step toward building a concrete batch plant on an 11-acre site next to Green River Rentals, sees its plan in limbo after Thursday’s City-County Planning Commission of Warren County meeting.

After hearing from a dozen speakers opposed to the concrete plant and from IMI attorney Chris Davenport, the planning commissioners deadlocked in a 4-4 vote on the FLUM amendment that would change the property’s designation from mixed use/commercial to industrial.

That change was to be the first step toward rezoning the property from light industrial to the heavy industrial zoning needed for the concrete plant.

There will be no next step for now, as the tie vote is a de facto defeat of the FLUM amendment, but IMI could still appeal its case to Warren Circuit Court.

The vote – with commissioners Dean Warren, Rick Starks, Gayla Cissell and Debbie Richey voting against the measure while Mary Vitale, Tim Graham, Christiaan Volkert and Justin Casada voted for it – set off applause from the two dozen or so residents who showed up in opposition.

“I’m very pleased it was defeated,” said Lost River Cave Executive Director Rho Lansden, among those arguing against the FLUM amendment. “I’m glad in this instance that they (planning commission) decided it was important to hear from the community and from people who will be impacted.”

The commissioners heard from a number of supporters of Lost River Cave, a popular tourist site that has a recent history of being affected first by gasoline vapors and later by detergent plant runoff.

“The cave is identified as a geologically significant asset in the (planning commission’s) comprehensive plan,” Lansden pointed out. “We can’t take a risk with this watershed. It has been identified as extremely vulnerable, and that has been demonstrated recently.”

Annie Holt, a geologist with the American Cave Conservation Association who has been involved in mapping the Lost River watershed, backed up Lansden’s concerns.

“The map shows multiple groundwater routes surrounding the site in question,” Holt said. “We can’t say 100 percent that water from the site would travel into the Lost River basin.

“A spill would be detrimental to the cave. Materials (from a concrete plant) could alter the pH level (a measure of water acidity or alkalinity) and affect animals’ ability to survive.”

Representatives of Green River Rentals also spoke against the plan for a concrete plant.

Robert Warner, listed as CEO of Green River Rentals in Kentucky Secretary of State business records, argued that having a concrete plant next door could harm his company’s 21 employees who often work outside.

“There’s a possibility of residual toxic dust,” Warner said. “I’m concerned for our employees and area residents.

“We believe this is not compatible with the area. I think it would be a travesty to have such a structure near the southern entrance to Bowling Green.”

Davenport defended IMI’s application, pointing out that the acreage across Nashville Road from the South Industrial Park is surrounded mostly by properties zoned industrial.

He called on IMI Environmental Manager Jordan Bailey, who tried to allay fears about air and water pollution by pointing out that the plant would be governed by environmental regulations.

“We’re required to capture 99.6% of the plant’s particulate matter,” he said.

Davenport also called on engineer Brian Shirley, who said the concrete plant would have to comply with all stormwater regulations.

In the end, each side convinced exactly half the commissioners.

Davenport huddled with IMI representatives after the tie vote, talking about possible next steps, but planning commission attorney Hamp Moore said the only option now is to appeal to circuit court.

Lansden, for one, expects that to happen.

“This was just round one,” she said after the vote.

In other action at Thursday’s meeting, Austin Coleman of Platinum Development LLC was approved for rezoning from agriculture to light industrial 12.42 acres along Whitney Drive near the South Industrial Park.

Coleman’s development plan calls for constructing a 100,000-square-foot industrial building. The rezoning will go to the Bowling Green City Commission for final approval.

Jody Allen of J. Allen Builders Inc. won unanimous approval for rezoning from agriculture to single-family residential 5.4 acres along Cadence Lane in northern Warren County.

Allen plans to add as many as 20 new lots to the existing Harmony subdivision. The rezoning goes to Warren Fiscal Court for final approval.