SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A proposal to build three warehouses near Interstate 65 in Shepherdsville is drawing pushback from neighbors.
Developers are looking to build the warehouses on about 30 acres off Stevens Drive, just west of I-65. The project would total roughly 575,000 square feet, with the option to expand.
Andrew Porter, who grew up in a 140-year-old home near the proposed site, said he worries the development would hurt property values and change the character of the area.
“Our property values are gone the instant they break ground on these,” Porter said. “I am just concerned with the way that we are just putting warehouses anywhere and everywhere that there is an empty plot of land.”
Bullitt County has been one of Kentucky’s fastest-growing areas in recent years, with Shepherdsville seeing a surge in industrial development tied to its proximity to the interstate.
Shepherdsville Mayor Jose Cubero said the city’s planning and zoning commission approved the proposal in a 9-1 vote, determining it fits the city’s comprehensive plan and meets legal requirements.
He said the buildings are not intended for distribution use, which would mean less lighting and fewer delivery trucks than a traditional distribution center.
Still, some residents said the area is prone to flooding and worry additional development could make it worse.
To address those concerns, developers plan to demolish a home they purchased on the property and convert the land into a retention pond.
Porter said flooding in the area has trapped residents in the past.
“Just a few years ago it flooded real bad,” he said. “These people off Stevens Drive — they couldn’t get out. They were stuck back there for days because the water was up over the road.”
No companies have been announced as tenants for the warehouses, which are currently proposed as speculative buildings.
Porter said he believes new businesses should fill existing vacant warehouses in Shepherdsville’s industrial park east of I-65 before new ones are built.
“There’s empty warehouses in those parks,” he said. “If businesses want to come to Shepherdsville, let’s fill those first.”
Two public meetings are scheduled at Shepherdsville City Hall, including one at 6 p.m. March 9. A final vote is expected March 23.
