Committee Stalls Moving Landmarks Ordinance Forward, Opponents Say More Discussion Needed

Louisville’s Planning and Zoning Committee has tabled the latest landmarks ordinance, surprising some council members who expected to vote on the measure Tuesday.This will give council members one more chance to find common ground in what’s become a controversial issue, said councilman Tom Owen.Several council members have supported some version of changes made to the landmarks process by councilman David Yates. These include giving Metro Council power to veto any potential landmark approved by the Landmarks Commission, which currently grants final approval.This is one area where some council members have refused compromise, said Owen.“Councilwoman Ward-Pugh and I cannot accept that and will not accept that and so that’s not something that we will support under any circumstances," he said.Owen plans on proposing his own amendments at the next committee meeting, some of which are modeled after Yates’ ordinance. Those changes include requiring only 50 signatures of the 200 needed to petition for landmark status to come from a one mile radius of the potential landmark. Under the Yates' proposal 101 signatures would have to come from within that area.Owen said his ordinance would also require better notification to the public before landmarks hearings take place.Yates was unable to attend the committee meeting and the item was tabled.