A proposal to construct three warehouses near Interstate 65 in Shepherdsville is facing resistance from nearby residents.
SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Plans to build three warehouses close to Interstate 65 in Shepherdsville are drawing criticism from neighbors.
Developers want to build the warehouses on roughly 30 acres off Stevens Drive, just west of I-65. The project would span about 575,000 square feet, with room for future expansion.
Andrew Porter, who grew up in a 140-year-old home near the proposed site, said he fears the development would lower property values and alter the character of the community.
“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 ranked among Kentucky’s fastest-growing areas in recent years, and Shepherdsville has experienced a surge in industrial growth due 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, concluding that it aligns with the city’s comprehensive plan and satisfies legal requirements.
He said the buildings are not designed for distribution use, which would result in less lighting and fewer delivery trucks compared to a traditional distribution center.
Even so, some residents noted that the area frequently floods and worry that additional development could worsen the problem.
To ease those concerns, developers plan to tear down a home they purchased on the property and turn the land into a retention pond.
Porter said past flooding has left residents stranded.
“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 tenants have been announced for the warehouses, which developers are proposing as speculative buildings.
Porter argued that new businesses should occupy existing vacant warehouses in Shepherdsville’s industrial park east of I-65 before constructing new ones.
“There’s empty warehouses in those parks,” he said. “If businesses want to come to Shepherdsville, let’s fill those first.”
Two public meetings will take place at Shepherdsville City Hall, including one scheduled for 6 p.m. March 9. Officials expect a final vote on March 23.
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