The Area Plan Commission of Evansville and Vanderburgh County voted 7-0 on Oct. 2 to deny a request to rezone 1 East Powell Avenue from R-2 to R-3, a change that would have allowed conversion of the existing house into four two-bedroom apartment units.

The petition was filed by Matt Layman of R. Layman and Son Consulting on behalf of property owner Piazza del Oro LLC. Commissioners and a string of neighborhood speakers opposed the proposal, citing the house's Civil War–era age, limited lot size and parking constraints.

Commissioners said the proposed fourplex would crowd a small historic lot and intensify on‑street parking. Commissioner Mike Hieronymus said the project was “too much to pack into this particular place,” and other commissioners echoed concerns about preserving neighborhood character.

Neighbors and local preservation advocates urged commissioners to protect the property. Philip R. Hooper, president of the Riverside Neighborhood Association, told the commission the house “predates the end of the Civil War” and described it as “a cornerstone of our neighborhood's history.” Gail Teller, who said she owns a property across the street, said the house “should not ever be turned into a duplex, much less a fourplex.”

Residents also raised technical concerns about the site plan. Shauna Jarboe, the South Sector representative for United Neighborhoods of Evansville, said the application showed only a single-floor plan and that parking calculations did not meet the zoning code’s requirements. Jarboe noted the plan appeared to show eight stacked parking spaces while the zoning calculation would require nine spaces under standard rules.

Petitioner representatives said the owner has invested in local properties and that the design shown was an initial concept subject to site-plan review. Matt Layman said the property “in no way, shape, or form . . . can it or will it . . . be a recovery house,” and that the applicant would work through required design and variance processes if the rezoning were approved.

Robert Andrews, listed in the record as owner of Piazza del Oro LLC, and another investor who identified himself as an out-of-state property owner said they planned to renovate the building and rent long-term rather than operate short-term rentals.

After public comment and commissioner discussion, a motion to approve the rezoning failed on roll call: Mister Shetler, Miss Cabell (Cobble/Cabell), Miss Freeman, Mister Gable, Mister Hieronymus, Mister Petke (Penke), and Miss Stevens voted no. The commission recorded 0 yes, 7 no; the petition was denied and will not receive a recommendation for approval to city council.

The commission’s staff report said the house was constructed circa 1864, that the site is identified as a contributing structure in a county interim historic survey, and that a use-and-development commitment (UDC) was filed with other rezoning requests in the meeting packet. Speakers referenced the 2035 Future Land Use Map and the Evansville Arts District design-review process as relevant to future exterior changes.

Commissioners and multiple speakers urged preservation-minded solutions for the building, including a sensitive single‑family or duplex renovation that would retain the structure’s historic character. The commission did not direct staff to take further action beyond the vote.

Votes at this meeting are advisory to the Evansville City Council; a denial by the commission means the rezoning request will not carry a recommendation to council.