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City additionally requires that both Planning <br />Commission and City Council adopt the amendments <br />with a 2/3 majority vote. <br />Wanush explained that extending the area south of <br />U.S. 36 to include the southwest quadrant of the <br />interchange and designating it commercial would <br />put the City in a posture of having reserve land <br />available before there is a competitive situation <br />wherein other cities could take advantage of this <br />location. "This would also position Louisville in <br />a more regional and a more competitive context <br />to ensure that Louisville at least keeps even in <br />terms of its availability of prime retail <br />location." <br />Having the 1500' buffer takes prime retail and <br />commercial land out of circulation for use by the <br />City, Wanush explain. There is no similar buffer <br />currently south of U.S. 36 or any other <br />unincorporated jurisdiction in the County. <br />However, the goals of the Comp Plan are to <br />maintain visual integrity, abate noise pollution <br />and maintain the interchange as a prime entryway <br />into the City. These are all still important. <br />Using a very strict number (the 1500' buffer) in <br />the Comp Plan is in effect taking away some <br />authority during the PUD stages of proposals, <br />i.e., specific design abilities, specific <br />locations, specific heights, specific uses, and <br />still allowing the integrity of the entryway to be <br />maintained yet permit some development. <br />Wanush stated that there are three concentrations <br />of retail/cammercial development that the City <br />should pursue: 1) the downtown area; 2) the <br />northeast quadrant of the intersection of South <br />Boulder Road & Highway 42; and 3) the area <br />surrounding the U.S. 36 interchange. The downtown <br />area is and will continue focus of retail <br />activities. What the City has lacked, according <br />to Wanush, is a piece of property with enough <br />scale to provide an opportunity for development of <br />a variety of uses situated in the middle of a <br />larger market area that can consider both <br />Lafayette and Louisville. In the short term, that <br />area around the intersection of South Boulder Road <br />and Highway 42 has more immediate opportunity for <br />development than the interchange site. The inter- <br />change site is more of a longer term setting aside <br />of property to ensure development in the longer <br />term. <br />6 <br />