A photo of the rendering of the West Riverfront District. Provided by Town of Clarksville
CLARKSVILLE — After months of planning, the Clarksville Town Council has adopted an amendment to the comprehensive plan creating the West Riverfront District — a plan that will serve as the model for preserving the historical aspects of the area while guiding new development over the next 10 to 20 years.
At its regular meeting Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to pass ordinances to create the new form-based code to be used in the district, and to amend the 2015 comprehensive plan to allow it. The district, bordered by the Ohio River, Silver Creek and Brown Station Way now includes a mix of historic homes, businesses, industrial companies and undeveloped land.
Although West riverfront development was included in the comprehensive plan passed six years ago, the town began in late 2020 looking at revisions. This was in part in response to plans by the River Heritage Conservancy to create Origin Park, which is expected to cover 600 acres along or near the riverfront in Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany.
“As a gateway to Clarksville, the West Riverfront District should celebrate and enhance Clarksville’s history and culture and serve as an example of sustainability resiliency and floodplain management and establish connectivity to destinations for residents and visitors,” the mission statement for the West Riverfront District vision says.
It includes six goals — to “balance the need for growth while supporting biodiversity and the natural environment; celebrate and enhance the community’s historic and cultural assets; cultivate environmental and economic sustainability and resiliency, increase connectivity, mobility, health and wellness for all residents and visitors; minimize land use conflicts and improve land use compatibility and promote and strengthen community enrichment and engagement,” the plan says.
It dictates the standards developments must adhere to, including things like building height and facades. And because it is a form-based code, modeled after one used for the South Clarksville Mixed Use District, it can provide consistency and reduce conflicts and time in processing approvals.
Prior to submission of a development plan, a potential developer will meet with the planning director and zoning staff. The developer may then submit an application in accordance with the zoning code, which is reviewed by staff and if applicable, the Historic Preservation Commission. If an alternate design approval is needed, that is reviewed and then the planning director makes a decision on approval or disapproval based on whether the development meets all requirements outlined in the code.
An exception is made for existing industrial and other businesses within the district, which will be allowed to continue until they are discontinued, abandoned or changed to a conforming use outlined in the district code, as long as they were in full compliance at the time the zoning district was adopted and were zoned I-1, I-2, B-1 or B-2 at that time.
Prior to creation of the district vision and the council’s vote to adopt the amendments, staff held community meetings and input sessions, formed a steering committee and talked with stakeholders including existing businesses in the area.
Clarksville Town Council member John Gilkey said that with those steps, “I think the process we used in moving that measure forward shows that good government works correctly. ...Accolades to everyone who was involved in that.”
Others commended the process including council member Tim Hauber, who said during the Tuesday meeting that throughout, he had always wanted to be very clear on what this could mean for the existing businesses who after the zoning amendment would be considered nonconforming developments. He praised Clarksville Planning Director Jacob Arbital and others who had worked on the plan, saying others had too after the plan commission meeting last week in which the amendments were reviewed and a vote taken to recommend them to the council.
“The business owners in the area were very satisfied,” Hauber said. “They spoke very highly of our staff and Jacob [Arbital] and said the meeting went well.” Hauber said he had fielded a lot of phone calls from property owners there during this process. “I think all in all things went very well.”
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