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There are typically plenty of seats at the Clark County Courthouse to accommodate all attending to discuss and learn about agenda items.

However, the Winchester/Clark County Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 11, differed.

With each seat taken and others standing outside to gather details, the proposal of subdividing a 52-acre multi-family zoned property located at 3475 Old Boonesboro Road into 132 duplex lots – or 264 units – was on the agenda.

The applicant seeking approval for the project was Stuart Spencer of Spencer Land Surveying of Richmond.

However, such a large attendance demanded that attorney Robert Gullette, Jr., legal counsel for the Winchester/Clark County Planning Commission, suggest otherwise.

“We have people outside in both hallways who are attempting to hear. Hopefully, they’ll be able to participate if they choose to do so,” he said. “As an attorney, I can tell you that there is a possibility [that] if somebody in the hallway is not satisfied, there will be a legal challenge and it could be raised [as] a lack of due process to the public because of these limitations.”

Following the suggestion after a larger-than-expected turnout, Spencer agreed to postpone the discussion, which is now tentatively scheduled for August 1, with an attempt to do so at the Clark County Extension Office.

Many residents who showed up expressed concern regarding the project.

One mentioned living in a house near the bottom of a hill, taking on water during heavy rains despite being told the home was not on a floodplain.

They brought up that if new units were added for housing, further problems in the event of inclement weather could occur.

These could cause decay to home structures that would cost money in repairs.

Issues related to insurance, mortgage costs, interest rates, rental costs, their relationships and more became points of discussion.

With more development, some residents mentioned distractions that could be caused by construction – especially for those that have children.

Some citizens also brought up how enough parking could be found given the number of units suggested to be added.

Perhaps most notably, the dependability of how to respond in an emergency – such as a fire – was mentioned as well.

Spencer Land Surveying did not respond to a request for comment.