By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council voted Monday evening to rezone new acreage in Wood Bridge Business Park – and promised neighbors that more efforts would be made to prevent a “junkyard” appearance, traffic problems and lighting issues.
The 40.6 acres, which were annexed to Bowling Green last month, sit on the southwest corner of Carter Road and East Poe Road.
During a public hearing on the zoning change to light industrial use, letters from neighbors of the acreage were read into the record.
“I think some really important issues have been raised by the neighbors,” said council member John Zanfardino.
The letters came from landowners along Poe and Carter roads, who have had negative experiences with a current manufacturer in the Wood Bridge Business Park. Several complaints have been filed over the years about Vehtek, which has been criticized for stacking racks up to 40 feet high outside its plant, for causing traffic problems, and for having lights that shine into a neighboring home.
The landowners asked that the new property have buffers and green space between neighbors, restricted traffic, limited outside lighting, and no outdoor storage
Sue Clark, of the city’s economic development office, said the city does not want a repeat of the problems with Vehtek.
Clark has tried to get Vehtek officials to clean up the site. But she explained the agreements with current companies in the business park don’t allow for the enforcement of some rules.
“The covenants current in Wood Bridge have no teeth in them,” she said.
Last month, Clark told the Zoning Board of Appeals that covenants for Wood Bridge Industrial Park don’t allow outside storage. But the city currently has no rules barring outside storage at industrial sites, according to City Planning Director Heather Sayler. So there is nothing the planning office can do about the towering racks until it overhauls its zoning code.
After being asked repeatedly by city officials to reduce the outside rack storage and improve parking availability for its more than 750 employees, Vehtek purchased a small property to the west of its plant for expansion of parking.
The only official who has been able to make headway with the company is Fire Chief Bill Moorman, who worked with the plant management to improve safety on the site by getting rid of some racking, and by moving the parking away from the building so fire emergency vehicles can get close to the building when responding.
Clark predicted it will take at least three years to get utilities and streets extended to the new acreage – and during that time the city is working to update its zoning on such items as lighting.
Sayler assured that the city plans to handle future properties differently.
“We’re very concerned about buffering as we go forward,” she said, noting that changes can be made as the city updates its zoning.
Sayler said the city has learned lessons from the problems with Vehtek.
“We’re trying to look for stronger tools for enforcement,” she said.
The city is listening to the neighbors, officials stressed during Monday’s meeting.
“We certainly hear them, and are taking them into account as we plan for the future,” said Kati Thompson, of the economic development office.
Clark also pointed out that Vehtek, despite being a less than desirable neighbor, is a valuable part of the city’s economic development.
“They are a very important part of our community, especially the economic development community,” she said.
And the new acreage will permit expansion of the business park to the east.
“It is allowing us to plan into the future,” Clark said.
Prior to that purchase, the city had parcels of five and 10 acres for smaller customers, but nothing this large in the business park.
The land purchase also allows for a road from the industrial park eastward to Carter Road. Currently, the only entrance to the business park is from Dunbridge Road.
“It is a major concern of mine, and has been for the last two to three years that we only have one means of egress and exit,” Clark said. “This is a serious issue that we need to be considering.”
