By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
A public hearing will be held July 1 for a zoning change to allow a senior living facility next to the QuikTrip travel center being constructed on the east side of Bowling Green.
The zoning request, submitted by Vermillion Development on behalf of the landowner Whitson Properties, was introduced Wednesday evening to the Bowling Green Planning Commission. The three parcels, consisting of 22 acres, sit at the southeast corner of South Dunbridge Road and Expressway Drive – just to the south of the QuikTrip facility being built at the southeast corner of East Wooster Street and South Dunbridge Road. One of the parcels has access to East Wooster Street, just to the east of the Holiday Inn Express.
The application asks that the zoning be changed from Interstate Commerce to Institutional zoning.
The proposed use of the property includes a three-story assisted living facility, with 120 units, to provide housing and care for seniors. Plans call for the acreage to include one residential building, 70 parking spaces, and a designated drop-off area for residents and visitors.
According to the application, the use will be residential in nature, and is expected to generate lower traffic volumes than typical commercial uses permitted under the existing zoning. The site will be designed “to operate cohesively with surrounding properties through appropriate site access, internal circulation, service/loading, landscaping, buffering, and stormwater management controls.”
At least two members of the Bowling Green Planning Commission voiced some questions about the zoning change request. Judy Ennis asked for clarity on the type of facility planned for the site, since the application referenced both a “nursing home” and “assisted living facility.”
Julie Broadwell questioned the close proximity of the proposed senior housing to the QuikTrip travel center – which will serve semi-trucks in the area near the new facility.
“That’s a terrible spot for assisted living for seniors,” Broadwell said.
The planning commission will hold a public hearing on the zoning request on July 1, at 7 p.m., in the City Council chambers. The applicant will be present at that meeting to answer questions, said Bowling Green Planning Director Heather Sayler.
The planning commission will make a recommendation on the zoning request to City Council – which will make a final decision on the requested change.
When Whitson proposed the QuikTrip facility in 2024, he described the QuikTrip business as being an “upscale” gas station/convenience store/travel center. QuikTrip, sometimes referred to as a “remote travel center,” has more than 1,000 sites in 17 states, he said.
