Editor's note: In a previous version of this story De'Asia Beard was identified as the last resident living in Lawton Court. According to CEPEDA Associates Vice President Eric Taylor, there are two other homes belonging to residents. Beard is the last renter. We included an additional quote to provide more context to the story. (Jan. 26,2023)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A fight that started in Aug. 2022 to save several homes in the Meriwether neighborhood ended Tuesday after the city’s Landmark Commission ruled against a petition by community organizers.
Louisville residents were trying to designate 14 homes on Lawton Court as historical landmarks, preventing a neighboring business from demolishing the homes. CEPEDA Associates currently owns 11 of the 14 homes in Lawton Court.
In an hours-long public hearing Tuesday, the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission heard from speakers for and against demolishing the homes.
One person who spoke was community organizer Jody Dahmer. Dahmer spearheaded the grassroots movement to save the homes.
Only 10 of the 13 members of the Landmarks Commission voted on the fate of Lawton Court. Six members voted for designating the area as historical, while four voted against. But because of a 2019 update to the city ordinance, there were not enough votes to pass.
“Our ordnance says in the case of designations, you have to have the majority of members total not present. So that needed seven affirmative yes votes for a motion to pass and they only had six,” said Savannah Darr, Historic Preservation Officer for Louisville Metro.
Darr added ordnances can be changed with the approval of Metro Council.
Despite this ruling, the fate of Lawton Court is not yet sealed. There is a 30-day period for people to appeal the decision.
“We are currently in the 30-day appeal period. There is an appeal that goes to circuit court, so someone who feels aggrieved by this decision could file with circuit court to have a review there,” Darr said.
Barring no appeal, CEPEDA Associates will be allowed to move forward with their plans to demolish 11 of the homes in Lawton Court.
Dahmer said while he will not be filing an appeal, he’d like to see another group continue to fight for Lawton Court.
”To try to fundraise money, to try to sue and issue an injunction, it’s not feasible for us,” Dahmer said.
Lawton Court’s last renter
Today, there’s only one person left renting in Lawton Court. De’Asia Beard is a college student at UofL. She’s a senior this year.
“I guess I’m supposed to start looking for a new place to live here in these next couple weeks,” Beard said.
CEPEDA Associates Vice President Eric Taylor told Spectrum News 1, "This was discussed with her last July or August when this started. I am not sure why she believes that she has to start looking for a new place to live in a few weeks."
Beard's lease isn't up until July. She says she didn’t find out about the demolition plans until after she moved in. Her home is owned by CEPEDA and managed by a separate company.
“These last few years, we’ve been in a housing crisis. Louisville needs over 31,000 units of affordable housing to solve that housing crisis, and just to know that there are people out there who have hopes to tear down even more housing, in a city where we’re struggling right now, it just hurt. It sucked,” Beard said.
It was a friend who told her about what was happening, after seeing a post on social media. Beard said she disagrees with the company’s plans to take away these homes.
“I hope they listen to the community,” Beard said. “I hope they see all the support we’ve gotten trying to fight this, and I hope they do the right thing and maybe not tear down housing.”
What comes next?
According to a statement provided to Spectrum News 1 from CEPEDA Associates, the company intends to move forward with the demolition of the properties they currently own.
The statement says they are “working to acquire the remaining properties in whatever timeline is suitable to the owners of the properties.”
Dahmer hopes CEPEDA will work with the area’s neighborhood associations to redesign the nearby pedestrian bridge, which connects both sides of Preston Street.
Dahmer would also like to see the language of the Landmarks Committee ordnance changed, so a situation like what happened with Lawton Court won’t happen again. He’d also like to see changes made to areas of the city zoned as EZ-1, which allows for the development of both residential and industrial uses.