Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2025 10 09

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Planning Commission Staff Report October 9, 2025 The revised TIS evaluated the Front Street connection using a 1,000 vpd threshold, which is generally recognized by most jurisdictions as the most conservative standard for local residential street classification. The City's 2013 Comprehensive Plan identifies local residential streets carrying more than 1,000 vpd as candidates for traffic -calming measures (p. 41), but not for reclassification. The TIS projects traffic volumes on Front Street below the 1,000 vpd threshold (p.66). However, in response to community concerns regarding the connection, the applicant has agreed to proactively install traffic - calming measures along Front Street and at the Front Street/Harper Street intersection (Attachment 7). The results of the revised TIS indicate that the Front Street connection is necessary for maintaining circulation and safe vehicular operations. The site fronts South Boulder Road, where turning movements are restricted due to heavy through volumes. Without the connection, eastbound U-turn volumes on South Boulder Road are projected to increase by 40-85% in the long term, requiring weaving movements across multiple lanes within a limited distance of the signalized intersection, which present unacceptable safety risks. The revised TIS and City staff both recommend construction of the Front Street connection, which would provide transportation redundancy, support a safer gridded street system consistent with prior planning efforts, implement adopted plan policies, and distribute traffic more evenly across the network. APPLICATION SUMMARY: The applicant, Ripley Design Inc., requests approval of a Preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD), a Preliminary Plat, a Rezoning of a portion of the property from the CC -MU (Commercial Community — Mixed Use) and R-M (Residential Medium Density) zoning districts to the MU-R (Residential Mixed Use) zoning district, a Land Use Exhibit Amendment, and a Special Review Use to allow ground floor multi -unit dwellings in the MU-R zoning district. A portion of the property is currently zoned CC -MU, which limits development to commercial, office, and institutional land uses. The requested MU-R zoning district allows for a range of residential uses in addition to commercial, office, and institutional uses, including townhouses and apartments, up to a maximum gross density of 20 dwellings per acre. To ensure a balance of uses, properties that are greater than 5 acres in size in the MU-R zoning district must include a minimum of two distinct principal uses on site. The requested rezoning will require the applicant to amend Land Use Plan, Exhibit A referenced in Louisville Municipal Code (LMC) Chapter 17.14 — Mixed Use Zone Districts. The existing Land Use Plan Exhibit designates the property as CC -Mixed Use, R-M, and Park. To match the requested zoning change, the exhibit needs to be updated to classify the entire property as MU-R (Attachment 4). 3