A proposal for a grocery-anchored development in southeast Jefferson County that was rejected by the Louisville Metro Council is officially dead after developers failed to appeal the decision.
The deadline to appeal the council's June 20 vote passed last week without an appeal from the project developer, Florida- and Illinois-based developer WMG Development .
The firm had sought to build a 51,000-square-foot grocery store and three smaller commercial buildings on about 12 acres at Tucker Station and Taylorsville roads.
Rezoning was necessary as the grocery, which council members said would be a Publix, exceeded the 20,000-square-foot maximum allowed under the area’s zoning rules.
Development in the area is governed by the 2008 Tyler Rural Settlement District Neighborhood Plan and the 2010 Tyler Town Center planned development district , both of which were developed with much public input.
"Those are the plans that won this victory and they should continue to be honored," wrote local attorney Steve Porter in an email. "That property should and will be developed, but just in line with those plans."
Porter represented the Tucker Station Neighborhood Association and spoke out against the project at hearings leading up to the council vote.
The council's decision upheld a April vote of 3-2 by the city’s Planning Commission, whose members cited resident concerns over the project’s size and discomfort in departing from the area’s zoning district in their votes.
Cliff Ashburner, a Louisville-based attorney for the developer, didn't immediately reply to a request for comment Monday. He previously told The Courier Journal the council's decision was "disappointing" but did not elaborate on any future plans for the project.
In explaining their vote, council members said they were not against Publix as a company nor the idea of a grocery store on the land. Rather, the size of the project was simply too large for the development framework for the area.
“I think there's a lot to be said for the work that the community does to make clear what our vision is,” rezoning ordinance sponsor Councilman Kevin Kramer, R-11, said at the June council meeting. “I think it's a dangerous path for us to go down when we decide because of one project or another, because one grocery store or other, we're going to throw out those planned development districts.”
Florida-based Publix opened its first Louisville location — also its first Kentucky location — in January at 2500 Terra Crossing Blvd. in far eastern Jefferson County. The northward expansion for the employee-owned company will also include at least two other Louisville stores at 10005 Ballardsville Road and 100 Flat Rock Road.
Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at mglowicki@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4000 .
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Publix near Jeffersontown dead after developers fail to appeal Metro Council rejection
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