New life could be coming to the old Silver Grove School, with plans calling for everything from a bakery to a gym.
The Campbell County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zone map amendment and stage-one plans to adapt the old school building into a mixed-use building at its meeting on Aug. 11.
The proposed uses within the building include a gymnasium, beauty salon suites, daycare, retail space, event space and a bakery.
Campbell County Planning and Zoning Principal Planner Kirk Hunter said that reuse of the former school could bring neighborhood-scale services within walking distance of Silver Grove residents.
“There’s not a lot of commercial uses in Silver Grove that are walkable for people,” Hunter said. “They have to drive up to Cold Spring or Alexandria to get a lot of these types of things.”
Aside from the old Silver Grove School building, the request also includes the city building (308 Oak St.) and a mixed-use commercial building (101 E 3rd St.), which are owned, respectively, by three separate parties: Compass Leasing LLC, the City of Silver Grove, and Ollberding Investments LLC. The total acreage is about 4.7 acres.
The proposed zone map amendment would enable the applicant, Paul Dennis, representing Compass Leasing LLC, to create a mixed-use adaptive reuse of the school. The proposal does not involve any substantial new construction.
There are a total of six parcels under consideration. No new development is considered for the city property or for the Ollberding property. The school comprises four parcels.
Parking emerged as one of the principal issues during the meeting.
The property currently has 45 parking spaces, 15 on the north side and another 30 along the Four Mile side of the building. Planning officials said former asphalt playground areas could potentially be converted into additional parking, and there may be room near the gym as well.
Exactly how much parking the development will require won’t be known until plans for the individual uses become more detailed.
Dennis told commissioners that a more complete parking plan is in the works.
“I think we’re going to be good for the community,” Dennis said. “We’re trying to do things to keep it coherent with the city. I know the parking right now looks like a major issue, but we have plans, and that’ll come along with the next two stages.”
Planning staff said that the Silver Grove City Council will be the deciding body for more on-street parking near the site.
Some potential uses will also require additional approvals.
The proposed daycare and event facility are conditional uses under neighborhood commercial zoning and would have to return to the Campbell County Board of Adjustments for separate review.
“That big of a building in the city, that size, it’s not an easy thing to take on,” said Campbell County Planning and Zoning Commissioner Justin Verst. “I think the zone change is appropriate. This use meets the comprehensive plan use.”
Though the planning commission approved the zone map amendment, the final approval will go before the Silver Grove City Council.
The plans do not include a timeline for development.
