A show of force by residents of Mitchell Heights subdivision has shut down plans to put an Airbnb bed-and-breakfast business in their neighborhood.

In a Bowling Green City Commission chambers packed Thursday with nearly 60 Mitchell Heights residents, the Warren County Board of Adjustments voted down an application for a conditional use permit that would have allowed an Airbnb to operate at 2715 Baker Place.

“I think the sheer numbers speak loudly,” said attorney Matt Baker, who represented Mitchell Heights residents opposed to the application. “There was almost unanimous opposition in the neighborhood.”

Despite that opposition, the initial vote was close on the application presented by Justin, Ashley and Cheryl Ann Reesy.

A motion by board member Jim Lockwood to approve the application was defeated 4-3, with John Fitts, Courtlann Atkinson, Danny Howell and Lloyd Ferguson voting against it while Lockwood, Elaine Price and Mike Davenport voted for it.

At the suggestion of board attorney Hoy Hodges, the board then voted on a motion made by Atkinson to deny the application. It passed 6-1, with only Lockwood voting against denial.

Among the Mitchell Heights residents cheering the outcome was David Bragg, who told the board members during the comment period: “This is an old, established neighborhood. This clearly is not an appropriate place for this development.”

Another speaker, Richard Grace, expressed similar thoughts.

“I oppose this because I bought into a single-family neighborhood,” he said. “I didn’t want to move into a rental neighborhood.”

Justin Reesy and his attorney, David Broderick, argued against claims by residents that the 2715 Baker Place residence was built to look like a duplex and that it would harm the neighborhood.

Reesy explained that he and his wife live at 2712 Thompson Drive and that they built the residence on adjacent property on Baker Place for his mother to live in. It included an accessory apartment that he said could someday be used as a “mother-in-law suite” when he and his family moved into the main part of the house.

In the meantime, the Reesys used the 900-square-foot accessory apartment as an Airbnb for a few months until being notified that they needed the conditional use permit.

“When we realized that we needed the permit, we stopped all reservations,” Justin Reesy said.

After Thursday’s vote, the property will not return to being used as an Airbnb.

“I can’t help but think this is the textbook definition of someone who didn’t get permission now asking for forgiveness,” Baker said in his closing argument to the board. “They went about it all wrong. It’s a duplex, and putting it in this place is inappropriate.”

The Reesys have 30 days to appeal the decision in Warren Circuit Court, and Broderick said that could happen.

“I think there’s a very good possibility of an appeal,” he said. “It was a close vote, so that’s something we’ll explore.”

The board approved two other bed and breakfast applications Thursday.

Bluegrass Vineyard LLC representatives Drew and Jessica Rogers were approved for two conditional use permits – one for agritourism use as a vineyard and event venue and another for a bed and breakfast – on their property at 5016 Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road.

Drew Rogers explained that the home on the 10-acre site will have a maximum of three bedrooms for rent. His site plan calls for converting an existing detached garage for wine processing and building an event venue in the future.

Also approved was a conditional use permit application by Christopher and Nancy Derry to operate a bed and breakfast on a 24-acre site encompassing 2370 and 2380 Mt. Lebanon Road.

Christopher Derry explained that a historic home on the property is being renovated for use as a bed and breakfast.