LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The Parklands of Floyds Fork is nearly 4,000 acres of protected trails, ponds and woodland, but neighbors are concerned development could be inching closer.
At a meeting Tuesday night, about 100 people gathered at First Baptist Church Eastwood to talk about the future of the area and what can be done to protect the wetlands.
Back in 1993, a design review overlay (DRO) was set up, creating a protective zone for the future Parklands. Since then, more and more developers have been eying the area surrounding it and its increasing popularity.
“We are about to ruin (a) $130 million project by allowing development in flood plains,” said Steve Henry, president of The Future Fund.
Neighbors of The Parklands of Floyds Fork gathered at a public meeting on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 to discuss the future of the area amid fears of development. (WDRB photo)
Henry is a former county commissioner who helped create the DRO and doesn’t want to see the area around it become even more high density without appropriate infrastructure first.
The special district DRO constitutes a second level of development, such as protection from destruction of prominent hillsides, valleys, trees or vegetation.
“We’ve land banked for 30 years and we have given about half the land to the Parklands, so we are very concerned about where this is all going,” said Henry.
The Parklands of Floyds Fork. (WDRB file photo)
The area has more than 30 miles of riverfront, which is eroding in several areas — causing concern for any future building near a flood plain.
“That means that development that is happening here needs to be done in a way that is not going to destroy that, because we only have one of it, because if it is destroyed, it is destroyed permanently,” Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19, said.
Piagantini said before any development is considered, the city and state must look at the roads — especially the small ones which would need to accommodate increased traffic.
The Parklands of Floyds Fork. (WDRB file photo)
The area recently received a national award for its environmental protection and that’s something neighbors said it needs to keep — they don’t want more homes or businesses threatening that.
“This is going to be an ongoing push-pull with the development community, with infrastructure interests such as MSD, Louisville water and other organizations like that along with the city and the state,” said Piagentini.
More community meetings are expected to be held in the future.
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