A proposed 44-unit apartment complex that will give preference to individuals recovering from addiction is moving forward after the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission voted Thursday to rezone property at 1651 Parrish Plaza Drive for multi-family use. Supporters say the project addresses a housing gap for those completing treatment programs, while nearby property owners raised concerns about safety and property values.
The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission approved the rezoning request submitted by Wabuck Development CEO Anthony Elmore and Dale Sights, who have overseen similar recovery-related housing projects in Henderson.
“This is not a recovery center,” Elmore said. “These are standard, multi-family apartments. The people living there would have leases, pay utilities, and there would be no internal assistance. However, there would be a preference for individuals who have successfully completed addiction recovery programs.”
Elmore said that up to 80% of the tenants would be people in recovery, though 20% could be residents without a history of addiction.
Sights, a lifelong Henderson resident and CEO of the Women’s Addiction Recovery Manor (WARM), said he’s helped develop similar transitional housing for women coming out of recovery programs. The goal, he said, is to help them find stable housing, reunite with family, and maintain employment.
“About 16 years ago, we developed housing adjacent to our recovery center in Henderson,” Sights said. “We now have 60 units and just received approval for 44 more. These units are for people who have completed at least six months of recovery and proven they can remain sober.”
Sights said rent would not be subsidized and that residents would need to be employed before being eligible to move in.
“I can’t think of a single person who completed the program and couldn’t find a job,” he said.
The proposed Owensboro project would not be located next to a recovery center. Instead, it sits between existing apartment complexes, a concern raised by several property owners during the meeting.
Roger Connor, who operates Olney’s Apartments, opposed the plan.
“We’ve worked 30 years to make this area a premium place for children and families,” Connor said. “There are better places in the community to put this.”
Another property owner argued that giving preference to people in recovery amounts to discrimination.
“If I said I only wanted to rent to a certain race, that would be illegal,” the man said. “How can they say they’ll give preference to people in recovery?”
OMPC Commissioners clarified that their vote was strictly on the rezoning request and not the specific use of the apartments.
“The only thing on the agenda tonight is a rezoning to go to multi-family,” said Planning Commission Director Brian Howard. “If this is approved, they’ll still need a final development plan showing building layout, parking, and landscaping.”
Commissioner Bill Weikel emphasized the commission’s limited authority on the matter.
“We’re only voting on whether this property should be zoned multi-family. We can’t approve or deny a project based on who the owner prefers to rent to,” Weikel said.
Despite the concerns, Elmore and Sights maintained that the model has proven successful elsewhere.
“In Henderson, this type of housing is treasured by the community,” Sights said. “We believe it would be a wonderful development for Owensboro.”
The motion to approve the rezoning passed with only one dissenting vote.
