Important Documents

Comprehensive Plan

Zoning Ordinance

Subdivision Regulations

Focal Point Plans & Studies

Administrative Documents

Zoning Ordinance

A zoning ordinance is a local written regulation and law that defines how property in specific geographic zones can be used. The ordinances specify whether zones can be used for residential, commercial, industrial or mixed-use purposes, and regulates items such as lot size, landscaping, buffering, placement of structures, bulk, density and the height of structures. Zoning ordinances are lengthy documents describing not only the acceptable use for specified areas of land, but also the procedures for handling infractions (including any penalties), granting variances and hearing appeals.

 

Our local zoning ordinance is unique from other local ordinance in regards that it is a joint ordinance adopted by the Warren County Fiscal Court and the incorporated cities of Bowling Green, Oakland, Plum Springs, Smiths Grove, and Woodburn. These regulations apply to all areas within Warren County.

A Zoning Text Amendment was approved and recommended to the legislative bodies at the March 21st Planning Commission meeting. Click here to see the proposed changes. Changes include regulations for medical cannabis, allowing digital billboards, specifying locations for EV charging stations, manufactured home definitions, adding enclosed self-storage as a separate type, allowing flexible signage options for developments and others. The legislative bodies will consider the changes over the next few months.

Zoning Ordinance

A zoning ordinance is a local written regulation and law that defines how property in specific geographic zones can be used. The ordinances specify whether zones can be used for residential, commercial, industrial or mixed-use purposes, and regulates items such as lot size, landscaping, buffering, placement of structures, bulk, density and the height of structures. Zoning ordinances are lengthy documents describing not only the acceptable use for specified areas of land, but also the procedures for handling infractions (including any penalties), granting variances and hearing appeals.

 

Our local zoning ordinance is unique from other local ordinance in regards that it is a joint ordinance adopted by the Warren County Fiscal Court and the incorporated cities of Bowling Green, Oakland, Plum Springs, Smiths Grove, and Woodburn. These regulations apply to all areas within Warren County.

The Comprehensive Plan

Focus 2030 is the Comprehensive Plan for Warren County, including the cities of Bowling Green, Oakland, Plum Springs, Smiths Grove and Woodburn. It represents the culmination of over five years of work by the Planning Commission Staff and a citizen Comprehensive Plan Task Force. It is the officially adopted guide for actions and decisions on the use and development of private and public land, the provision of governmental services and facilities, the planning of streets, highways and other modes of transportation, the planning of facilities including water, sewer, storm drainage, parks and open space.
The plan document provides a general overview of the process undertaken to prepare the Focus 2030 comprehensive plan. It presents the major findings and trends, the opportunities and the challenges facing Warren County. It presents a clear vision statement for the next 20 years; provides direction and makes recommendations on how to implement the plan to realize the vision in a world of growing complexities and ever changing technologies. This plan is envisioned as being open ended. This means that it should be and must be periodically updated, altered and revised as the needs of the community change. The Focus 2030 Comprehensive Plan is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate changing conditions and needs but at the same time, its goals and objectives are permanent enough for long term decision making. The plan was developed to reflect the needs of a changing and growing community and to meet legal requirements. The Plan does address the issues raised by citizens and by the Comprehensive Plan Citizen Task Force.
The plan document provides a general overview of the process undertaken to prepare the Focus 2030 comprehensive plan. It presents the major findings and trends, the opportunities and the challenges facing Warren County. It presents a clear vision statement for the next 20 years; provides direction and makes recommendations on how to implement the plan to realize the vision in a world of growing complexities and ever changing technologies. This plan is envisioned as being open ended. This means that it should be and must be periodically updated, altered and revised as the needs of the community change. The Focus 2030 Comprehensive Plan is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate changing conditions and needs but at the same time, its goals and objectives are permanent enough for long term decision making. The plan was developed to reflect the needs of a changing and growing community and to meet legal requirements. The Plan does address the issues raised by citizens and by the Comprehensive Plan Citizen Task Force.

Subdivision Regulations of Warren County

The City-County Planning Commission of Warren County, Kentucky has been empowered to prepare rules and regulations governing the subdivision of land within Warren County and the cities of Bowling Green, Plum Springs, Oakland, Smiths Grove and Woodburn under the authority of Section 100.273 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes.

Subdivision Regulations Appendices

Plans & Studies

The Focus 2030 Comprehensive Plan guides staff to conduct corridor studies and focal point plans for several of the main transportation corridors and small communities in Warren County. The study areas encompassed typically include a high growth area or corridor that has experienced change or is expected to grow, or an area that is targeted for improvements. Policies and recommendations from these small area studies are used by the planning commission as a companion guide to the comprehensive plan when making land use recommendations to the governing bodies. The Scottsville Road Corridor study was conducted in 2015 and can be found below. The Plano Road Focal Point plan is next in line. The draft can be found below and adoption of the plan is expected late this summer.

Scottsville Road Corridor Study

Plano Road Focal Point Plan

Smiths Grove Focal Point Plan

Oakland Focal Point Plan

Woodburn Focal Point Plan