Nicholasville City Commission approved a first reading with a unanimous vote for 11.45 acres of land off Nicholasville Road to be rezoned from A-1 agricultural to B-2 highway business district at Monday night’s meeting.

The reading came before the board after the Nicholasville Planning Commission had a public hearing on Jan. 28 and made a 7-0 motion to recommend approval for the zone change application for a portion of property located at 4610 Nicholasville Road.

“Did they agree to all of our new standards as far as buffers?” City Commissioner Doug Blackford asked.

“They did,” Dean Anness, planning and zoning administrative officer for the City of Nicholasville said. “There is a plan … It is all conceptual of course. It will start changing once you do have a buyer. I do not know the intentions. I don’t know if the owners are planning to do this themselves or market it. That would be up to them.”

Anness said the plan shows four outbuildings, one of which would be a strip center. The plan also includes a possible bank and two restaurants.

City Commissioner Patty Teater asked if the restaurants would be fast food or “sit down.”

Anness said he was not aware what the plans were for the restaurants.

“I hope they are sit-down,” Teater said.

A few changes have been agreed upon, one of which would include the north road to continue in order to tie into the property for future expansion.

Commissioner Alex Carter asked Anness if the lots to the north and east are residential lots. Anness said they were not.

“I did have a few phone calls from people, mainly from Fayette County, that wanted to know exactly what was going on,” Anness said. “Once I explained to them it was just a small parcel of land, they were excited to see a shopping center expansion.”

Anness said if the zone change is approved with a second reading, designs for each individual building would need to be brought back to the planning commission for final approval before they are built.