Zoning board addresses variance request for group care home on Highland St.
Property developer Terry Young requested a variance to create a group care home for women recovering from addiction on Highland St. The board rejected the request based on code requirements. Young will appeal to the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
Watch the zoning board meeting here
At a recent zoning board meeting on June 30, 2025, local property developer Terry Young requested a variance for a property at 609 Highland St to establish a group care home for women recovering from addiction. Young said he was inspired to take on the project due to his wife’s experience growing up with a mother struggling with addiction.
Young said he had made a $60,000 down payment and would pay $340,000 for the house, which he argued should cancel out any fear of the facility lowering property values of the surrounding homes. At the end of 15 years, at which point the property would be paid off, Young said he would request to donate the property to the non-profit that would be running the facility. Young also said he would build an 8-ft privacy fence around the house.
Zoning board member Mark McClinton interjected to point out that the board was there to make a determination on whether the request met the code or not. They would make their non-binding recommendation based on the code, which the Board of Alderman can accept or overrule.
Speaking after Young was Hunt Cole, a Jackson attorney, who requested that the variance sought by Young be denied. Cole grew up in New Albany and his sister still lives in New Albany near the property under discussion. Cole said that the property in question is not approved for use as a group care home and that special exceptions for use cannot be granted for this particular property. However, Cole did think Young’s goal was laudable and pointed out that there are many areas in New Albany where such a variance might be granted. Accordingly, Cole urged the zoning board to follow the code and to advise the Board of Alderman to reject Young’s request on that basis.
Board says property does not meet code requirements
McClinton observed that under the code, “a group care facility must be located on an arterial street and have a minimum lot size of 3 acres” and that the Highland St. plot was only .39 acres. Young pointed out that he had requested an acreage variance. McClinton said that “for us to grant a variance, there have to be exceptions”. In other words, there would have to be existing exceptions in that zone that are similar in character to the variance requested. For example, McClinton said, if “there are other care facilities in that zone similar to that– there are not. Another one would be that it’s the only place that that would be allowed — it’s not”.
Young interjected to ask, “Can you point out any areas in town where 3-acre lots are available?”
McClinton answered, “Oh, I don’t know, but,” looking at Young, “I bet I know a good realtor and developer that can tell me,” which elicited some chuckles.
McClinton underlined that the idea of a care home for recovering addicts is something the community would support. Virtually everyone has someone in their family who has struggled with addiction and understands the need for such a facility. McClinton said that’s something Young could address to the Board of Alderman, “but for us here today, the property doesn’t fit”.
The zoning board then voted to deny Young’s request for a variance.
Terry Young said he will appeal the zoning board’s decision to the Board of Aldermen. That will be at the next meeting on August 5, 2025.
