Religious Institution Lands Utilized for Needed Housing

Earlier this year, some of the planning staff had the opportunity to attend the National Planning Conference in Denver, CO. Many planning sessions were offered, one of which highlighted the increasing trend of religious institution lands being used to fill needed housing gaps. Featured case studies during the planning session in Denver included All Saints Apartments, a senior-focused development, and the Saint Francis Warren Residences, a transitional housing development. Religious institution lands comprise a large amount of property, nationwide.

 

Locally, a quick snapshot reveals that close to 1,500 acres of public-institutional land exists in Bowling Green and Warren County. In many cases, much of the land includes unused parking, obsolete buildings or simply undeveloped open space. This presents an opportunity for partnerships between the faith-based community and experienced developers, who share a common goal of providing much needed housing. Sometimes, permitted land uses and density, as well as site-specific infrastructure needs can pose a challenge for religious institutions looking to repurpose extra space, but a recent local example proved successful.

 

At their June 19th meeting, the Planning Commission recently recommended approval of a 104 unit multi-family housing development, on Cumberland Trace Road, on excess land owned by a local church. For more information on the specifics of the proposed development, please view the staff report or the video recording of the public hearing.