Louisville council hears concept for 50 affordable senior apartments

Louisville City Council heard a preliminary concept Oct. 6 for 50 affordable apartments for residents 55 and older on a vacant, 1.22-acre commercially zoned site at 0 Centennial Drive. The early review was nonbinding, not an application for approval, and the council took no formal action.

Pennrose’s concept calls for one-bedroom apartments averaging about 600 square feet in a three-story building about 39 feet tall, with 40 parking spaces. It targets households earning 30% to 80% of area median income, with an average household income of 60% of that median. Rents would be capped at 30% of each household’s income, the applicant’s concept materials say.

The proposed density of about 41 apartments per acre exceeds the 24-per-acre standard city staff cited for the commercial community zone. The city’s Comprehensive Plan lists a range of 8 to 18 homes per acre for the site’s Residential Mixed designation, while allowing density to vary based on a project’s context and community benefits, including affordable housing. The building would also exceed the zone’s 35-foot height limit, and its compatibility with nearby homes would need review, city staff said.

Multifamily housing in the zone requires Special Review Use approval. Staff said the project would also need a Final Planned Unit Development, with both applications reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council after public hearings. Pennrose’s developer, Michael Kimmelman, said the company had not begun neighborhood outreach and wanted feedback on the concept, the meeting recording shows.

Council members voiced support for affordable housing and urged outreach to neighbors. They asked about transit access, electric-bike charging and backup power for residents who might rely on mobility devices. One member said they preferred housing that was not age-restricted.