Kentucky Downs won’t be bringing its planned Bowling Green satellite gambling facility to Ken Bale Boulevard, but odds are good the Franklin horse track’s owners will try another location.

The City-County Planning Commission of Warren County voted 7-3 Thursday night to deny the development plan amendment submitted by the BG Landco Corp. headed by Kentucky Downs owners Marc Falcone and Ronald Winchell.

That amendment would have changed the development plan for 58.8 acres encompassing both sides of Ken Bale Boulevard and would have cleared the way for development of a gambling facility similar to Kentucky Downs’ Mint Gaming Hall on a 16-acre tract across the road from the Sam’s Club and Stockdale’s stores.

The application called for allowing a gambling facility and an establishment with more than 60 percent of the dedicated seating at a bar. It also asked for an increase in the permitted height for freestanding signs on the property from 13 feet to 30 feet and for a reduction in the required landscape buffer along the western portion of the development.

Those changes were needed in order for Kentucky Downs to follow through on the approval it received in February from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to expand its licensed premises.

The KHRC approval, plus the Kentucky General Assembly’s passage of legislation legalizing the slot machine-like Historical Horse Racing machines that have fueled the explosive growth of Kentucky Downs, made the expansion into Bowling Green seem like a good fit.

Bowling Green attorney Charles “Buzz” English, representing BG Landco, argued during the meeting held via Zoom teleconference that the proposed development is a good fit.

“We anticipate that this facility will have a good number of employees and be the type of facility that will attract tourism,” English said.

The attorney said he expected the gambling facility to lead to development of restaurants and other amenities.

“We think the impact will be significant and very positive,” he said.

English also revealed that BG Landco’s partners had agreed to address the expected traffic issues by having a traffic light installed at the entrance to Sam’s Club nearest Stockdale’s.

Despite such arguments, the majority of the commissioners decided not to support the development.

“We had to decide if this would help diversify the local economy, support tourism and enhance the community,” said Dean Warren, who made the motion to deny the application. “I didn’t see that it would.

“I went strictly by what’s best for the community.”

Only one community member joined the meeting to speak against the development, but he made a forceful case.

“This would be a blight on our community,” said Ben Simpson, a local pastor. “These establishments are rigged to take advantage of people and prey on people.

“I strongly encourage you to protect our community from establishments such as this.”

Warren was joined by commissioners Shannon Blackburn, Sandy Clark, Debbie Richey, Rick Starks, India Unseld and Velma Runner in voting to deny.

Only Tim Graham, Mary Vitale and Christiaan Volkert voted against denial. Commissioners Greg Gay and Mary Belle Ballance were absent.

Although the application was defeated, English indicated the efforts of Kentucky Downs to expand into Bowling Green are likely to continue.

“We’ll be reviewing all options, but it’s too soon to say what will happen,” English said. “I think there will be Historical Horse Racing machines in Bowling Green. It’s just a matter of where.”

The planning commission did approve some other applications Thursday, including one expected to lead to a sizable residential and commercial development along Russellville Road near Rockfield Elementary School.

Gemstone Property Development LLC, headed by Kevin Crabbe, and the estate of Pernie Price were approved for rezonings at 7134, 7168 and 7208 Rockfield Road.

The application calls for rezoning 4.44 acres from agriculture to highway business in order to develop a mixture of commercial uses and for rezoning another 14.16 acres from agriculture and residential estate to planned unit development in order to develop that tract with single-family residences up to seven dwelling units per acre.

Attorney Kevin Brooks, representing Gemstone, said the single-family residences would have at least 1,050 square feet of living space and would be rentals.

Brooks said plans for the highway business portion of the development aren’t yet final.

“We are in discussions with multiple potential tenants , but nothing is definite,” he said.

The rezoning application will go to the Bowling Green City Commission for final approval.

Also approved was the application of Joseph Scott Rippy and property owners Jerry and Sheila Hester to rezone 5.68 acres at Woodburn-Allen Springs Road and Boyce-Fairview Road from agriculture to rural density residential.

The applicants plan to develop the property near Boyce General Store into a maximum of five single-family residential lots.