# Council Work Session - July 8, 2008 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · July 8, 2008 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/545 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/545?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2008-07-08 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: March 2, 2026 - **Length**: 8,475 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed by OpenAI Whisper-1. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Speaker labels and verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Urban County Council convened on July 8, 2008, with Mayor Newberry presiding over the session. The council addressed six main agenda items during the meeting, covering a range of municipal business including zoning matters, resolutions, and administrative approvals. All agenda items presented to the council were approved, demonstrating a productive session with unanimous or strong consensus on the matters at hand. The council conducted seven motions and votes throughout the meeting, addressing various municipal concerns from rezoning requests to traffic control measures. One member of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, allowing for citizen input on council business. The meeting included approval of requested rezonings and docket items, a resolution supporting the Kentucky Horse Park's application, and a resolution establishing multiway stop controls for traffic management. Additional business included the approval of meeting summaries, consideration of eight new business items labeled A through H, and the Mayor's Report to the council. The comprehensive agenda reflected the council's ongoing work in urban planning, public safety, and municipal administration, with all presented items receiving council approval. ## Attendance All council members were present for the July 8, 2008 meeting. **Present:** • Mayor Newberry • CM Blues • CM Ellinger • CM Lane • CM DeCamp • CM James • CM Blevins • CM Stevens • CM Myers • CM Gorton • CM Crosbie • CM Henson • CM Beard **Absent:** None **Late:** None The meeting achieved full attendance with all 13 council members and the mayor participating. ## Votes and Decisions The Council conducted seven votes during the July 8, 2008 meeting, all of which passed unanimously. **Docket Amendments** The Council approved three motions to add items to the meeting docket: • **Zoning Public Hearing**: CM Blues motioned, with CM Ellinger seconding, to place a special meeting public hearing on September 9 at 6 pm for an ordinance changing the zone from Light Industrial (I-1) to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) and Highway Business (B-3) for certain properties. The motion passed unanimously. • **Kentucky Horse Park Support**: CM Lane motioned, with CM DeCamp seconding, to place on the docket a resolution expressing support for the Kentucky Horse Park's Application for Transportation Enhancement Funds. The motion passed unanimously. • **Traffic Controls**: CM Blues motioned, with CM James seconding, to place on the docket a resolution authorizing multiway stop controls at Sandersville Road and Bay Colony Lane and at Sandersville Road and Prichard Drive. The motion passed unanimously. **Docket Approval**: CM Blues motioned, with CM Blevins seconding, to approve the docket as amended. The motion passed unanimously. **Administrative Approvals** • **New Business Items**: CM Gorton motioned, with CM Stevens seconding, to approve new business items A-H. The motion passed unanimously. • **Meeting Summary**: CM Stevens motioned, with CM Myers seconding, to approve the summary of the July 1, 2008 meeting with minor changes and additions. The motion passed unanimously. • **Mayor's Report**: CM Crosbie motioned, with CM Gorton seconding, to approve the Mayor's Report. The motion passed unanimously. All votes were conducted by voice vote with unanimous consent. No roll call votes were taken, and no specific vote counts or individual member positions were recorded for any of the motions. ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council addressed several financial matters totaling over $886,000 in contracts, grants, and amendments during the July 8, 2008 meeting. **Contracts and Agreements** • Resolution 364-08 authorized an agreement with Marriott Griffin Gate Resort & Spa for the Annual Police Awards Banquet • Resolution 404-08 approved a contractual agreement with Bluegrass Regional Mental Health - Mental Retardation Board, Inc. for $811,724.95 • Resolution 402-08 modified an existing agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for the MMRS Project • Resolution 399-08 authorized Change Order No. 2 to the contract with Jarboe Construction Company, Inc. for $4,420 **Grant Applications and Donations** • Resolution 395-08 accepted a donation of mattresses from Tempur-Pedic, Inc. • Resolution 401-08 authorized submitting an application to the EPA under the Environmental Justice Small Grant Program for $20,000 **Technology and Infrastructure** • Resolution 400-08 amended Resolution No. 330-2008 for a FM Emergency Alert System with Alertus Technologies, LLC, involving $50,998 **Property Matters** • Resolution 403-08 addressed closing a portion of the right-of-way between 3336 and 3340 Mt. Foraker Drive The largest single expenditure was the $811,724.95 contract with Bluegrass Regional Mental Health - Mental Retardation Board, Inc., representing the majority of the financial commitments made during this meeting. The emergency alert system amendment and EPA grant application demonstrated the city's focus on public safety and environmental initiatives. ## Public Comment During the public comment period, one speaker addressed the Council regarding development and land use issues in Lexington-Fayette County. Knox Van Noggle, Executive Director of the Fayette Alliance, spoke about the importance of farmland preservation and innovative infill redevelopment for Lexington-Fayette County. His comments were part of a broader Centerpoint discussion, though specific details of his remarks were not provided in the meeting record. The public comment period provided community members an opportunity to share their perspectives on local development priorities and land use policies affecting the county. *Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available for this public comment period.* ## Appointments The City Council made one appointment during the July 8, 2008 meeting. • **Patrick Brewer** was appointed to the Planning Commission. The Council took action to fill this vacancy on the Planning Commission, which serves as an advisory body to the City Council on planning and zoning matters within the city's jurisdiction. ## Contested Items The July 8, 2008 Council meeting featured one primary contested item that generated community discussion and opposition. **On-street Parking on Transylvania Park** The main point of contention involved the prohibition of parking permits for certain properties on Transylvania Park. Community members raised concerns about the fairness of this policy and questioned the availability of parking spaces in the area. The discussion centered around which properties would be affected by the parking permit restrictions and whether the current policy created equitable access to on-street parking for residents. Participants in the debate expressed concerns that some residents might be unfairly disadvantaged by the permit system while others would have better access to parking spaces. The nature of the opposition appeared to focus on the practical implications of the parking restrictions and whether the policy adequately addressed the parking needs of all residents in the Transylvania Park area. Community members questioned whether the current approach to managing on-street parking was the most effective solution for the neighborhood. The outcome of this contested item was not clearly resolved during the meeting, with the discussion highlighting the ongoing challenges of balancing parking availability and fairness in residential areas with limited street parking options. ## Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval The Council considered a motion to schedule a special meeting public hearing for a rezoning ordinance that would change the zoning classification for certain properties from Light Industrial (I-1) to two different designations: Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) and Highway Business (B-3). Council Members Blues and Ellinger participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The motion specifically requested that the rezoning ordinance be placed on the docket for a special meeting public hearing, which would allow for public input on the proposed zoning changes. The rezoning would affect multiple properties, transitioning them from their current Light Industrial designation to mixed-use zoning that would accommodate both residential and commercial development. The Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zoning typically allows for higher-density residential development, while Highway Business (B-3) zoning permits various commercial and business uses. The Council approved the motion to place the rezoning ordinance on the docket for a special meeting public hearing. This approval means that the public hearing will be scheduled, providing an opportunity for community members and stakeholders to comment on the proposed zoning changes before the Council makes a final decision on the rezoning request. The docket approval represents a procedural step in the rezoning process, ensuring that proper public notice and hearing procedures will be followed before any final action is taken on changing the zoning designations for these properties. ## Resolution for Kentucky Horse Park's Application The Council considered a resolution expressing support for the Kentucky Horse Park's application for Transportation Enhancement Funds during the July 8, 2008 meeting. Council Members Lane and DeCamp were the key speakers on this agenda item. The resolution was designed to formally endorse the Kentucky Horse Park's funding request, which would support transportation-related improvements at the facility. While specific details of the discussion were not captured in the available transcript excerpts, the item was placed on the docket as a resolution of support for the Horse Park's federal funding application. Transportation Enhancement Funds are typically used for projects that enhance the transportation system while providing environmental and aesthetic benefits to communities. The Council approved the resolution, providing the Kentucky Horse Park with the municipal support needed for their Transportation Enhancement Funds application. This type of local government endorsement is often required or beneficial when applying for federal transportation grants. The approval demonstrates the Council's support for infrastructure improvements at one of Kentucky's premier equestrian facilities and tourist destinations. ## Resolution for Multiway Stop Controls The Council considered a resolution authorizing the installation of multiway stop controls at two intersections along Sandersville Road during the July 8, 2008 meeting. The resolution proposed adding stop signs at: • Sandersville Road and Bay Colony Lane • Sandersville Road and Prichard Drive Council Members Blues and James participated in the discussion of this traffic safety measure. The resolution was designed to implement multiway stop controls at these intersections, which would require all approaching vehicles to come to a complete stop before proceeding. The Council approved the resolution, authorizing the city to move forward with installing the multiway stop controls at both specified locations on Sandersville Road. *Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.* ## Approval of Summary The Council reviewed and approved the summary of their July 1, 2008 meeting during this agenda item. Council Members Stevens and Myers participated in the discussion regarding the meeting summary. The summary was approved with minor changes and additions, though the specific nature of these modifications was not detailed in the available materials. The approval process proceeded without significant debate or controversy. **Outcome:** The July 1, 2008 meeting summary was approved with minor revisions. ## New Business Items A-H The Council considered multiple new business items during this portion of the meeting. Council Members Gorton and Stevens participated in the discussion of these items, which included various agreements and authorizations related to public safety and community projects. The new business items encompassed a range of municipal matters requiring Council approval. These items involved agreements and authorizations that would support ongoing public safety initiatives and community development projects within the city. During the discussion, CM Gorton and CM Stevens provided input on the proposed items. The Council reviewed each item to ensure proper authorization and compliance with city procedures. All new business items A through H were ultimately approved by the Council, allowing the city to move forward with the various agreements and authorizations contained within these items. The approval enables the implementation of the public safety and community project initiatives outlined in the business items. The Council's action on these items demonstrates their commitment to advancing both public safety measures and community development efforts through the proper authorization of necessary agreements and projects. ## Mayor's Report The Mayor's Report was presented during the July 8, 2008 Council meeting and included recommendations for various board appointments. The report was discussed by Council Members Crosbie and Gorton, who served as the key speakers on this agenda item. The specific details of the board appointments and other items contained within the Mayor's Report were not detailed in the available materials. Following discussion by the Council members, the Mayor's Report was approved by the Council. *Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.* --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Place on the docket a special meeting public hearing on September 9 at 6 pm for an ordinance changing the zone from Light Industrial (I-1) to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) and Highway Business (B-3) for certain properties - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Place on the docket a resolution expressing support for the Kentucky Horse Park’s Application for Transportation Enhancement Funds - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Place on the docket a resolution authorizing multiway stop controls at Sandersville Road and Bay Colony Lane and at Sandersville Road and Prichard Drive - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve the docket as amended - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve new business items A-H - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve the summary of 7/1/08 with minor changes and additions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve the Mayor’s Report --- ## Full transcript Всем спасибо за просмотр! Доброе утро! Это был привет, подписанный на канон — Фрейдер Блок Д Доброе утро! Это был привет, вспомнил, что Вы Dust Д Доброе утро! Это был привет, подписанный на канон — Фрейдер Блокel Доброе утро Приятного привет, Господь There's been a request to have a public hearing on that zone change application, and I've asked for a date that would be suitable for the person making the request. And so I would recommend September 9 at 6 p.m. We have a work session that afternoon, so 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, if that will work for the rest of the council. All right. Number 14, the motion by Council Member Blues is to schedule that for a public hearing. I'm sorry. It is number 14. I was looking at the wrong one. On September 9 at 6 p.m. That would be a special meeting also, so you would need to make sure your motion stated that for a public hearing, and the time designated, please. I'm sorry. What was the last thing you said? Designate the time. All right. 6 p.m. All right. Okay. Thank you. So the motion is to have a public hearing and a special meeting of the council September 9 at 6 p.m. Any discussion? Was there a second? I second. Council Member Ellinger. Any discussion? All those in favor of having the hearing and the special meeting at that time, please let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Motion to approve the docket now with that change is in order. Is there a motion? So moved. Thank you. Council Member Beard, seconded by Council Member Blevins. Any discussion on approving the docket as amended? Council Member Lane. I move to place on the docket for the Tuesday, July 8, 2008, council meeting, a resolution expressing the support of the mayor and the council for the Kentucky Horse Parks application for transportation enhancement funds. So moved. Second. Thank you. Council Member Lane has made a motion. It's seconded by Council Member DeCamp. I think the essence of the motion is to add to the docket a resolution expressing support of the horse park for its transportation enhancement application. Is that correct? Yes, sir. Any discussion? Those in favor? Council Member Blevins. Council Member Lane, could you elaborate a little bit on what this is about? The only thing I know about this is what I've been provided, but it's my understanding that we would be able to get funding from the state to do additional transportation work. Perhaps Commissioner Kelly would like to give more detail on that. Let me add just a little bit of insight to this. This is a request that came from John Nicholson at the horse park yesterday. The horse park has filed an application for some transportation enhancement funds. They want to use that to improve what's generally known as the big barn on the backside for some, to make it more of a tourist attraction. And the deadline for the grant is July 18th. So I apologize for the short notice, but just found out yesterday. That's the essence of it, I believe. The motion is to add that item to the docket for this evening's meeting. Is there any further discussion? Any further discussion on that proposed amendment to the docket? Seeing none, those in favor of amending the docket by adding that item of new business, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Council Member Crosby. Yes, Mayor, I have a question regarding, this is under ordinances for second reading. This is number 11 for positions being created. This is regarding fleet services and building maintenance. And I'm not sure if somebody will need to come up for me. It looks like we're abolishing the director position of building maintenance and the director of fleet services. The director of building maintenance is a 121 position, according to this. And the director of fleet services is a 120 position. And we're creating a director, which is a 123E, which is in here, which we were given in the proposed budget. What, Kevin? I'm sorry, we were given that. But then we're also creating two positions, deputy positions. Do what? No, I was just going to say, during the docket approval, normally we don't have questions. Well, I mean, I guess my question is, we're creating two deputy positions that are 122, but we weren't, that's not the information we were given. Right. No, what I'm saying is, if there's a specific question on a number, then we would take care of it during a council meeting. But right now we're just adding things to the docket to approve it, unless there's a typo or something in there, of course. Is there a typo in this? I don't see where these two positions, I guess there's a discrepancy between, I'm trying to find where these positions are from what I was given and where they are in the docket. I don't know whether Commissioner Cole or Commissioner Coe could address that particular issue. These positions were not in the proposed budget, but they're in the docket, I guess would be my question. So before I put, I guess to vote to put it on the docket. On where? It's on the docket. I will vote to put it on the docket and then I'll ask my question tonight during meeting. Thank you. I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you said. I said I'll save my question for tonight. Okay. I'll vote to put it on the docket and then I'll save my question for tonight. Maybe since somebody here now knows what my question is, they'll be able to answer it. All right. Thank you. All right. I think the motion on the table, on the floor now is the approval of the docket as amended. Council Member Blues. Relative to the docket. Okay. That would be in order. I move to place on the docket for Tuesday, July 8, 2008, a resolution authorizing and directing the Division of Traffic Engineering, pursuant to Code of Ordinances, Section 18-86, to install multiway stop controls at Sandersville Road and Bay Colony Lane and at Sandersville Road and Pritchard Drive. So moved. We have a motion and a second to amend the docket by adding a resolution concerning multiway stop controls at Sandersville Road and Bay Colony Lane. Any discussion? Those in favor of that amendment to the docket, please indicate by saying aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. I think we're now ready to vote on approving the docket as amended. Unless there's any further discussion, we'll proceed to vote. Those in favor of approving the docket as amended, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Before we go further, I am advised that we have a couple of different, three different people who have expressed a desire to speak on issues on the agenda. The first one is Mr. Caton, J.E. Caton. All right. And then Ms. Graves, Barbara Graves. Is it downtown zoning? All right. So I'll just make sure, is there anyone else who wishes to address an issue that's on the agenda for today's work session? Now, back to item three, the approval of the summary. The July 1st summary was included in the materials that were circulated. Is there a motion to approve that summary? I move approval and I have some corrections. All right. We have a motion to approve and a second from Councilmember, the motion is by Councilmember Stephens, the second is by Councilmember Myers. Councilmember Stephens. Page four of the packet. Under council report, C.M. Stephens spoke about newly constructed houses on Third Street that should be, spoke about a temporary tent on Third Street in the historic district. So that should be a correction by substitution of a temporary tent. And under the motion that I subsequently made to refer this to the Intergovernmental Committee, which was approved, it should have also that this motion was passed without dissent. That should be added to the, I mean, to the summary, I believe. Thank you. Thank you. I move those changes. Is there any objection to those changes? If not, we'll incorporate those. Thank you very much. Opposed? Any further discussion of the summary of the July 1 meeting? Those then in favor of approving the July 1 summary as amended, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. We have no budget amendments. We do have some items of new business. Is there a motion to approve them? Second. I have a motion by Councilmember Gordon and a second by Councilmember Stevens to approve the items of new business. Is there any discussion? Councilmember Gordon. Mayor, I believe there needs to be a correction on D, which states that the request will be from June 30th of 2008 to June 30th of 2000. I think that needs to be 2009, and I would move that we change that. The detail in the back supports 2009. I have a motion to amend the new business item D. Is there a second? Second. I have a second by Councilmember Crosby. Any discussion? Or was it James? Councilmember James, I'm sorry. Those in favor of amending item D, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. We're now ready to consider the new business items as amended. Any discussion? Those in favor of approving them, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. We're now down to the presentations, and I understand the Budget and Finance Committee report is not in order at this hour. It's not timely now. Is that correct? Yes, sir. We gave that report last week, and it's still the same, no money. Thank you. Well, since we have a little gap in the agenda as a consequence of that, let me take just a moment to recognize one of our employees for some outstanding service. And I think perhaps the best way for me to do this is to read to you an e-mail that got passed along to me by Officer Steve Gauntz, who's in our Division of Police. This was directed to Sergeant Doug Lamb about Fire Captain Jeff Garris's actions during a recent competition in Lynchburg, Virginia. This is in reference to an incident that took place on June 18th during an electronic search competition held in Lynchburg, Virginia during the Project Lifesaver conference. While waiting for others to complete the competition course, a bystander became dizzy and passed out. Captain Jeff Garris was the first person to respond and began caring for the victim. At first, no pulse could be obtained. A second attempt found that the victim's pulse was extremely low. Captain Garris was able to get the victim revived and talked to her as he checked her vital signs. Upon the arrival of local emergency services, Captain Garris relayed the victim's information and vital signs to them. Emergency services at first informed the victim that she did not necessarily need to be transported to a hospital due to the episode possibly being related to the high temperature. Captain Garris again informed them that she had lost consciousness and that he recommended that she be transported to the hospital for follow-up treatment. The victim was transported to a local hospital. It was discovered later that the episode was actually cardiac-related. The victim was released from the hospital on the following day with the understanding she was to wear a heart monitor for the next several weeks. The actions taken by Captain Jeff Garris during this incident could have been the steps needed to save the victim's life during that critical moment, and it shows the dedication that Captain Garris has for the preservation of safety and life. It also portrays the type of positive image Lexington's emergency services should embrace. Officer Gantz then asked that this information be relayed so that Captain Garris could receive the recognition that he deserves. So Captain Garris is here with us today, and if he'll join me at the podium, I have a certificate I'd like to provide to him. I have a Meritorious Service Award presented to Captain Jeff Garris, and it says, On June 18, 2008, decisive action on the part of Captain Jeff Garris, Lexington Division of Fire and Emergency Services, saved the life of a woman who lost consciousness while observing an exercise at the Project Lifesaver Conference in Lynchburg, Virginia. Captain Garris is hereby commended for his professional expertise, dedication, and outstanding service. Congratulations. Thank you. All right, the next item on the agenda is a report from our Services Committee. Thank you, Mayor. We met on July 1st at 1 p.m., and the issues that we were dealing with were just an update on items in the committee. We met initially with Chief Ingram, who talked about the private fire hydrants, and we thought that was a very good report. We made a motion that we have since asked Mr. Green to bring forward to put this on as a presentation because we think the full council should hear this presentation on the fire hydrants. One of the issues we dealt with on our items in the committee were our traffic issues, and we listened to both Brad Fraser and Steve Cummings on the Christ the King Church traffic issues, the multiway stop at Armstrong Mill and Crosby, and the traffic light at Waverland Museum. We do have a motion that I need to bring forward to the full council. I move a motion by Councilmember McCord to send a letter to the Department of Transportation for full consideration at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Waverland Museum Lane for safety, seconded by Councilmember Myers, and passed without dissent. I move this forward. Second. I have a motion by Councilmember Ellinger and a second by Councilmember Crosby. Any discussion? Those in favor, please vote aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. And in the last part of the meeting, we dealt with items that were removed from the committee. These were all internal to the committee, and we were adjourned at 2 p.m. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you very much. The next item on the agenda is a presentation concerning the Lexington Distillery District. Mr. McNeese is listed as the person who is going to be making that presentation, but I understand he's had a family medical issue to deal with, and so we have some other folks in his stead, and I will let you all introduce yourselves and proceed with the presentation. Thank you. Yes, Barry asked me to send his apologies to the Council. He was called away suddenly on a family emergency, and he's out of state attending to that. So I am in his place. My name is Brooke Asbell. I'm here with Stan Harvey from Urban Collage, who has been working on some concepts, and I know the Council has seen previously some of the drawings and renderings that Stan's group has worked on, as well as what we present today came from Stan's group as well. I, along with Barry, am one of the managing partners of the Lexington Distillery District. I'm a native Kentuckian, born up the road in Fort Thomas. I went to UK, got my undergraduate degree in business there, and am active in the Alumni Association. I sit on the National Board of Directors of the Alumni Association currently. So as you can tell, I have a great affinity for this town and this region. So we're here today to share with you some of our concepts and our vision for a development we're calling the Distillery District, and really we feel it presents an opportunity to create a destination in Lexington with a unique sense of place which draws on the distinct character and cultural heritage of the Distillery District. When we talk about the Distillery District, we're really talking about the Manchester Street corridor, just west of Murrup Arena heading out toward Forbes Road. Why do we call it the Distillery District? As most of you should know, Lexington has a unique heritage related to bourbon distilleries. This is how Manchester Street looked circa 1898 and actually housed what was billed as the world's largest distillery, the James E. Pepper Distillery, which actually exists nearly intact today down that street, and we do own that property. The history and heritage of bourbon in Lexington and Kentucky are mixed. You can't separate the two. There's over 100 years of distillery history in Lexington and especially along Manchester Street, and there are and have been dozens and dozens of famous brands that came out along Manchester Street. The backstage for why we call it the Distillery District, what it looked like previously, for those who haven't had the occasion to venture down to Manchester Street lately, perhaps to reclaim your car from the bluegrass towing lot, this is what it looks like today. I think it's fair to say it's blighted, not a lot of attention down there, not very appealing or attractive, but the elements are there for a reclamation project. We feel that the area right now provides limited economic and social benefit to the community, and we'd like to reclaim the heritage that the distilleries provided way back when into today. Just to give you a sense of exactly where we're talking about, this diagram's an overview. The red areas are properties that the partners of the Lexington Distillery District currently own. The area specifically we're talking about is the area just west of the proposed Newtown Pike extension, west along Manchester Street to Forbes Road out here. We've for now named each of the sections. We have an east section and a west section. The east section is boarded by the Old Tar Distillery, and the western section is anchored by the prominent James E. Pepper Distillery. The distillery district is proposed to be a 20-plus acre as it stands now area, as I said, east of Newtown Pike, I'm sorry, west of Newtown Pike up to Forbes Road. It encompasses several significant historical buildings, the Old Tar Distillery buildings, as well as the existing James E. Pepper Distillery buildings, which most prominently includes the large five-story warehouse, which is one of the dominating features, along with the water tower that sits behind it, and the actual distillery building itself, which sits at the far western end. And if you go inside there, it actually houses a lot of the original distillery equipment inside there. It's quite an interesting tour to take, and at the end of the meeting, we'll invite the council to come down at their convenience for a field trip. We feel the redevelopment will build on planned investments in the Newtown Pike extension, the proposed Lexington Center and New Rupp Arena, which is very close by, as well as the Town Branch Trail, which along our area there will lead right up into downtown Lexington. Right now, I'd like to have Stan Harvey come up. He'll walk through the next few renderings. These are some of the drawings his group has done and touch on a little bit of the concepts and the vision that we've explored to date. So, Stan? Thanks, Brooke. Good afternoon, Mayor Newberry and members of council. What I'd like to do is just briefly talk to you a little bit about some of the evolving vision that's over here, but it may, as prefaced, be good to talk about why we're so excited to be involved in this and to talk a little bit about the partnership and kind of some of the charge they've given us, which has been very gratifying. First is, and Brooke will talk a little bit more about this, is let's build on the good work that's already happened. There's been a lot of ideas thrown out about this area, about the Cox Street lot, Town Branch Trail, McConnell Springs. There's a lot of synergy here with Newtown Pike and other things. There's been studios that DDA and UK has led about this area, and so they asked us to kind of build on some of that work. The second is that they kind of said, with their property, they wanted three things out of it. They wanted it to be innovative, they want it to be authentic to Lexington, and they want it to be sustainable. And as Vice Mayor Gray and Dr. Stephens and several other council members have been so involved in the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee recently, this is really, I think, a good case study of some of those ideas coming forward in a more tangible sense. And finally, as a planner and urban designer, what has been so gratifying about this is this very drawing where they talked about, let's also think broader about our sites as catalysts for broader change in the neighborhoods, for change about connecting and extending downtown further west, and for reclaiming some of these other sites that you can start to see in blue that could be catalytic sites, not part of their property holdings, but let's think about those connections. So what I'm going to try to orient you to on this previous drawing, on the previous drawing, and Brooke mentioned, there's kind of a so-called east district, which is really the area that's closest to Newtown Pike, which you can see kind of bisecting or running along the edge here. This is Cox Street, Rupp Arena would be just to the right. It's concentrated around land holdings that are on the very eastern end of Manchester Street, and then some scattered properties that have been assembled as you move towards the major railroad trestle that kind of bisects the district today, about halfway to Forbes. The idea at the eastern district is to create a destination, an anchor. Conceptually what that is, and this is an evolving conversation, but what they asked us to do is do some feasibility studies. What would fit there? What kind of programmatic opportunities could there be? And like I said, there's been previous work of studios, of local architects, looking at both old tar, which is that number one there, which is reuse of one of the old distillery buildings, and the opportunity for new mixed-use construction, retail, office, and housing that could fill in around it. And then the partnership also owns some property across Manchester on the south side, and then there's what will be in the future right-of-way, excess right-of-way of the Newtown Pike extension. So what you see illustrated, just as a concept of an idea, is the idea that there could be some kind of marketplace or public market that also would kind of accentuate this kind of character and feel and arts flavor that really characterizes the whole district. Other opportunities are more infill. As Brooke will come back to, it's very important, given the length of the corridor, this is a very linear corridor, to tie that all together with streetscape and greenways and other public improvements, public art, signage. And he'll talk a little bit more about some of those opportunities. This is not meant to be – it's a massing model just for some, most, in fact. I have a little difficulty reading two-dimensional drawings. This is really just starting to talk about some of the ideas that are percolating there in the district, including this is Newtown Pike here in the foreground. You basically are standing to the west of Rupp Arena. You're looking east. If you look today, you would see that water tower and the old pepper warehouse there in the distance. So these are ideas of new construction and existing buildings being integrated, the idea of some infill that could start to occur and could accelerate. This could just be a catalyst for other infill that could happen. It does point out the importance of how Newtown Pike extension is treated, how this bridge that the mayor and others have promoted as being something unique and iconic to Lexington, the passageway underneath it becomes very important, particularly for the greenway and trail connection that Town Branch Trail is trying to make and we're trying to also support. The West District is really a phenomenal opportunity. Over 15 acres that are all relatively contiguous and under control now. And basically, as orientation, again, this is Forbes Road. This is the Vulcan Quarry. And so it's the western end. And this is the McConnell House. As Van Meter Pett and others would point out, a kind of lost, forgotten cultural icon there that really kind of anchors one end and could be integrated into this plan. The idea of continuing the Town Branch Greenway and creating another greenway that you could have seen on that previous diagram, the idea of reclaiming rails to trails for the Bourbon Trail out towards Frankfurt on this railroad corridor. Really, the heart of this is the opportunity to create a pretty unique, dynamic entertainment destination and mixed-use destination using a lot of the existing buildings, the distillery building, other outbuildings, the warehouse, and then in-filling over time, additional commercial opportunities. Those are shown in red. And additional housing opportunities. Really, we want this to be a 24-hour place. And these are just, once again, some of the emerging concepts just to put a little bit of meat on the bone of what are the possibilities here, what can we test, what are we trying to do, and just as importantly, what are the public infrastructure improvements that kind of need to support this type of development. And once again, just conceptually, here's Manchester again. Streetscape improvements. This is Town Branch, which oscillates from the north side of Manchester to the south side in this section. The idea to continue that greenway to integrate kind of new development that reuses some of the existing buildings and builds new. You can see, I think Barry and I believed, one of the best restaurant sites in the city right here in terms of kind of sitting outside, alongside some of this really unique environment that could be created there. So that's just a little bit of an overview about where we are to date in terms of some ideas. Thanks, Dan. So as you can see, or hopefully you can see, we believe the Distillery District will be a future magnet for residents and tourists alike. We believe it will be very complementary and leverage existing state and local assets and initiatives, things like extending the Bourbon Trail into downtown Lexington. No better place to start or end for the 500,000-plus visitors to the distilleries every year than in Lexington at the Distillery District. The 2010 World Equestrian Games, to have something in place of significance as the visitors, as we know, not just national but international visitors and lots of them, as they come into town off the Newtown Pike Extension, to have something that they actually might expect to be in Lexington but is not there currently, and to welcome them and tell them to announce that, yes, you are in Lexington, we think that will enhance that experience for them. The Newtown Pike Extension itself, as it stands now, if you drive down the new Newtown Pike Extension, you look right down Manchester Street, it would be a bland, uninviting, dare I say scary road that nobody would venture down usually. To have something there that, again, announces that you have now arrived in Lexington, right there at that primary intersection, I think would, again, enhance the city of Lexington and the amenities we have to offer. And then, of course, the Town Branch Trail, which we are lucky enough, as you may know, the Town Branch meanders along and across Manchester Street, all through this district, and we are very keen to work with those group of folks as the Town Branch Trail winds its way actually into downtown Lexington. So where are we? This is one of the final slides. Where have we been? We've done a lot of, and Barry McNeese has done a lot of, talking and reaching out to stakeholders, interested parties, some of which we've listed up there, the UK College of Design. He's hosted the Beaux Arts Ball at the Altar Facility. We've offered up the properties for design projects and design reviews and design showings. We actually had a group of students from Virginia Tech University come out and visit, and they are doing a senior design project on the Pepper Distillery. We have not seen the results of that yet. It's forthcoming, and we would be more than happy to share that with the Council once we get that. That should be interesting. Mr. Hasbell, your time has expired. If you could wrap up pretty quickly here, I'd appreciate it. Absolutely. Thank you, Mayor. Importantly, I want to point out that the neighborhood group meetings that Barry has held so far with the Melrose neighborhood and Irish Town neighborhood meetings, and I believe Councilman Blues attended the Melrose community meeting with Barry, those are the communities that are directly adjacent to the distillery district. That's what we've done so far. The vision is alive and well. We are in a process here. We will continue to outreach to the local community, the stakeholders, the Urban County Council. As evidenced by this meeting, we hope to have many more continue the discussion with you all, solicit ideas and feedback. All of the local interested parties, U.K., LexArts, organizations such as that, continue the neighborhood discussions. We realize that Melrose and Irish Town aren't the only communities and neighborhoods that are near there and would be interested in hearing what we have to say. We would be interested in hearing what they have to say. And along those lines, we are beginning to plan a community forum for late July, early August, for all of those communities that are interested. We will publish that as appropriate and have a chance to have a really open forum to dialogue about the plans and listen to what the community feels they would like to see in that area. So just in conclusion, we really feel we have an opportunity to revitalize a downtrodden area of Lexington. We think it can be a signature destination. And, again, I would like to personally invite and know Barry Wood, the council, to come down at your convenience for a field trip where not only can you see the outside of the buildings but get inside some of these buildings. I think you'll get a feel for what the possibilities are in this area. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Does anyone have questions for Mr. Asbell or others? Council Member Blues. Thank you, Mr. Asbell, and thank you, Stan. I really appreciate this presentation. And I've valued over the last several months the opportunity, as I know other council members have had, to talk with Barry about this project and also to, as you said, to attend with him recently a Melrose Oak Park neighborhood meeting in which he presented his vision for the Manchester Street corridor and invited opinion, advice, and input and reaction from the neighbors. So this is very exciting for our downtown, for our city, and, of course, for the 2nd District. I do have one question, and I wonder if you could help us because, as you know, we're very interested in the concept of the TIF financing. How that is integral to your project. I think we have some idea of how important it is for the community. It also must be very, very important for the developer as well. And how does that fit into your planning and your needs as you begin to make this vision into a concrete reality? Sure. Well, I'm not a TIF expert. I'm learning quickly, as I think everybody here is. I can say that without a TIF, this project is not going to happen. The reason it's so important to us, and I'll speak at a high level, and we will be happy to talk more about it in detail, we are nearing the end of a feasibility and market study in preparation for a TIF application. There's a lot of number crunching going on. We've hired C.H. Johnson out of Chicago to do this study for us. Once we get that and all that's finalized, we would actually like to set up a meeting with the council to go over the contents of that report. And I think that will help everyone understand how important the TIF is. But for now, I think I can say that, again, without a TIF, it's going to be really hard for this project to be reality. And the primary reason is with an area like this that's just been not paid attention to, no improvements have been done, and I can't say for how long, but it's been a long time. The cost to a developer to go in and improve, for example, the streetscape, the utilities, those utilities are above ground now. If you want to really create a pedestrian-friendly district, the utilities need to be buried. They need to be buried under the public roads. The developers don't control those areas. The cost to do that, the cost for the water hookups, the additional hookups, we are all aware of the water issues, especially down in that area. A lot of shoring up needs to be done. So when you lop those costs on top of the pure development costs that the developer will incur naturally, that's where it gets the economics just end up not working for us. So that's, in a nutshell, is why it's so important to us. Again, I will be happy to go into extreme detail once we get the report, and we can, if the councils agree, we'll set up a meeting with, actually, our consultants, and we can sit down and go through everything in a lot of detail. Well, thank you very much, and I think we all look forward to that report and to working with you, and we really appreciate your working with the government and with the community on this shared vision. Thank you. And it's not going to work without the support of everybody, so that's the approach we're taking. Council Member McCord. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you guys for all you're doing. And let me just reiterate thank you. Again, I think that the headline of any type of press release or media or anything on this should be, once again, of the private side stepping up and putting millions of dollars at risk in some of the worst economic times because they believe in Lexington and what's going on. And you're to be applauded for that, along with the other folks that are doing that in our downtown, and there's a number of folks that have personally faked a lot. It does me a lot of personal gratification because Mr. Asbell and his brother have been away from Lexington for quite a while, but the Asbell brothers, who are now in Pittsburgh, and Barry McNeese and I are all fraternity brothers. And what's really interesting is to see how people that have had a love for the city go away for a while and then find something that's compelling and want to be involved. So, again, I thank you personally, but as a group. And, Stan, I appreciate you, all that you've done. You are exactly right in that what you're doing has a tremendous magnet effect. Of course, we've talked about Town Branch Trail and how it is vital to this, but the trail that I'm personally working on and that's the Knight Foundation's legacy piece is a northwest or a north-south connector that would come through this very space as well. And it's because of what you're doing that it wants to come that way. So I think that the further down the road you get and the more that you can tell your compelling story, I think the more excitement it generates. And I just wish you all the success in the world. I had the good fortune to be with Barry for three hours and walk the entire project inside and out. And I would encourage every council member to block out a large block of time and spend some time with Barry and some of these folks and ask questions and see it through their eyes and see it now because truly it is a transformation initiative. And I appreciate all that you're doing. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Are there any more questions for Mr. Asbil? Thank you very much for your time today. We look forward to working with you. We're now ready for council reports. And since our system is not functioning today, if I can see a show of hands, start making a list. Council Member Henson, if you'll lead off for us. Mayor, I'd like to move to place on the docket the Neighborhood Development Fund list for approval. I have a second by Council Member Crosby. The motion is to approve the NDF. Any discussion? Those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. I have one more. I also move to refer to the planning committee the following items related to current zoning ordinances to review civil penalties and fines imposed on property owners who operate a home office or home occupation in violation of the zoning ordinance and impose restrictions on issuing permits to individuals, property owners, when there are pending written complaints regarding violations of zoning ordinances and place reasonable time limits for completion of construction projects approved for existing one and two family residential building permits and fence retaining wall permits. Is there a second? Second. I have a second by Council Member Crosby. Those in favor of referring those items to the planning commission, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Planning committee, I'm sorry, instead of planning commission. Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. I was approached by a constituent about an issue that we passed back in 2006 on Resolution 610-2006 and the representative's attorney is here, Mr. Murphy, and what it deals with is on-street parking, and I voted for it because I thought it was the right thing to do because you want to protect the neighbors, but the issue that here is it was a duplex and they only have three spots for parking in the back, and there actually is another duplex that has three spots that is allowed on-street parking, but they're not. So there's an issue that maybe this unit is being discriminated against that we need to look at, and there are seven people that live in here and there's only three spaces for them to park. So I think Mr. Murphy's here, and you can probably elaborate a little more if you don't mind, if you would come to the mic. Mr. Murphy, could you give us the address, please? Yes, Mr. Mayor. It's 315 Transylvania Park. Craig Hardin is the owner, and Craig was out of town and couldn't be here today, but he owns a duplex there, and Transylvania Park has a residential permit parking system where you have to get a permit to park on the street. And a couple of years ago, a little over a year ago, the ordinance was amended without notification to him where his property and six others were prohibited from obtaining permits to park on the street. Now in those seven houses, the residents cannot obtain a permit to park on the street. He has a difficulty with this. Most of the other units that were on that list have quite a bit of parking. He has a duplex with only three off-street spaces, and we figure it's probably an error because there's another duplex down the street with three off-street parking spaces that is allowed to park on the street. We'd simply like to be treated equally and like to be allowed to park on the street. It's a pressing issue for him right now because it's the time of year when these units are rented out, and it's a concern to the people who live there who are putting pressure on him who don't understand why they can't be able to get a parking permit to park on the street in front of the house where they live. I think there is one issue that they did go to the BAR because it is a historic house, is it not? And they have said that if they go for the permit, they could get a fourth potentially. Is that not true? There's potential for getting one more. That will help the situation, but that won't solve the situation. And this is in Mr. DeCamp's area, so I'm sure he has some issues that he'd like addressed. Council Member DeCamp. Yes, I brought this forward on behalf of the neighborhood. There are several multi-units on there, and what was happening is everybody and their brother was going down and getting parking permits and guest permits, and pretty soon the single-family residents and the majority of them on that block of Transylvania Park had no place to park. We put through that anybody that had a multiple unit, including duplexes, were not eligible because they provide off-street parking anyway. And so this is the first time I've heard that there was another duplex that wasn't included, and I will certainly be glad to work with the neighbor on seeing that they also have to adhere to this. I think the way it is set now that duplexes are required to have two parking spaces per side, and I've worked with the BOAR to see that if they apply they can get another parking space, which would be a total of four, on this particular duplex. So, you know, I will be glad to look in, I think, one of the major complaints. I didn't realize that there was another duplex that wasn't included in this and that they're allowed to get parking permits. If we do it for one, we should do it for all, and I will be glad to look into that. But as far as I think when an owner, you know, buys a duplex, they know that there's certain limited parking in there, and the Neighborhood Association felt that four parking places was adequate for a duplex. So without, and that's why they included them in the legislation which we passed. So at this point I would rather not change anything until I certainly have a chance to work with the Neighborhood Association and to see a survey about that issue of the other duplex and, you know, get back to the Council at that point. Mayor, I think at this point I would just like to make a motion we put this in the Service Committee so we can check out these issues, and that way we keep this an issue in there that we can address if there needs to be any changes. So I make that motion. And I'll second it. I have a motion by Council Member Ellinger and a second by Council Member DeKalb to refer the item of on-street parking along Transylvania Park to the Services Committee. Any discussion? Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Thank you. All right. Council Member Korten. Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to introduce the public and the Council to a bit of beauty today, and you will remember what this is. I hope the camera can show this. This is the new Lexington-Deauville Dahlia, which was dedicated last September in Deauville, France, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partnership between Lexington and Deauville. And there are many, many, many now blooming in Lexington. It is special. It came from France, and I would presume that the bulb catalogs will pick it up any day now. But during the ceremony to dedicate this flower, not only was champagne used to, you will remember this, to christen the flower, but Mayor Newberry was declared the godfather of the flower. I think that's a positive distinction. But it is beautiful, and you will see them now, I think for the rest of the summer, blooming in Lexington, and it does commemorate a wonderful partnership with our sister city, Deauville, France. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Korten. Council Member Beard. Thank you, Mayor. I would like to move to put into services a three-way, multi-way stop at the intersection of the southwest to northeast leg of Glendover Drive, the east-west Glendover Drive, and Valley Road. So moved. Second. The motion is to refer to the Services Committee review of the intersection of Glendover Drive and Valley Road. Yes. Is that correct? Is there any discussion? Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. Thank you, Mayor. Does anyone else wish to make a report? Seeing none, we'll move along. I think the Mayor's report was circulated earlier. It includes some recommendations for members of five different boards. Move approval. Second. I have a motion by Council Member Crosby and a second by Council Member Korten to approve the Mayor's report. Any discussion? Council Member James. I just have one comment. We used to get a report of the vacancies, and I don't think we've had one in a while. Could you check with your staff to make sure we're getting those on a regular basis? We'll be glad to do that. Mr. Green, if you would make sure that gets circulated to the Council promptly, I'd appreciate it. Thank you, Mayor. You're welcome. Council Member DeCant. Mayor, if I recall, I don't have it in front of me, but two of those appointments were to the Planning Commission. Right. Which must be approved by the Council. Right. And what's the timing on this? Because, you know, we're going to be away. Right. And when do these, because it's very important to have a continuity, especially on the Planning Commission, and I was wondering how we're going to handle this. The terms of three Planning Commission members expired June 30th. I have 60 days within which to appoint their successor. So I wanted to go ahead and get these two to you, and since then I will tell you that I have a third one that will be forthcoming. His name is Patrick Brewer. Some of you may know Mr. Brewer from Lexmark, and I will be glad to circulate his resume and information. But to the degree the Council wishes to hold some kind of hearing or go through a confirmation process, you can do that as you please because we'll have some time after everybody gets back from the break to do that. I think the deadline would be August 29th for having those approved. Okay. Well, is this going to hinder any of the actions of the Planning Commission between now and then? It may, depending upon when the Planning Commission meets. I think there is some notion that the Planning Commission may be meeting again the third week in August, and if that's the case, then it would be necessary for the Council to make some decision with regard to these recommendations sometime prior to then. I believe that impacts their quorum. I can't remember whether it does or it does not, but there are three vacancies anyway. I just wanted to clarify one thing. Council Member DeCamp, you mentioned continuity. Two of the members are no longer eligible for reappointment because of term limits, and the remaining member has indicated he no longer wants to serve. I just want to make sure that was clear. I just want to be sure that we don't run, I mean, because what we're doing is a lot of important things are coming up before the Planning Commission. I don't want to be able to, you know, that we have to stop because we don't have a quorum. So I think we need to remember that or at least schedule something as soon as possible once we're all back because I think it is important that we keep it moving along here. And also I assume that the two that you've gotten, maybe somebody else has gotten, but we will get a resume on these people. Yes. I know there was one in there and the other has been on the Board of Adjustment, but we can get that resume to you if you haven't received it. Okay. So, you know, even if it's going to tie something important up, I mean, we could even make a possibility of doing a confirmation, you know, if we can get enough people together during the summer because I think it's that important. Thank you. All right. We have a motion to approve the Mayor's report. Any further discussion? Those in favor, please say aye. Opposed, no. Motion carries. All right. That takes us down to public comment on issues that are not on the agenda, and I gather from a little bit ago we have some folks who had a desire to speak to the Council at this point. Let me check to make sure that J.E. Caton or Caton is still not with us. All right. The next one on the list then is Ms. Graves. Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council. I'd like to cede my time to Knox Van Noggle, please. Thank you. Very well. Ms. Van Noggle, and you had signed up as well, so you'd have a total of six minutes. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Thank you all very much. We know that you all will be discussing Centerpoint this evening, and we wanted to make a short comment on the record before your discussions this evening, so thank you for this time. As you all know, my name is Knox Van Noggle. I am the Executive Director of the Fayette Alliance. The Fayette Alliance is a coalition of agricultural neighborhood and development interests whose aim is to promote urban and rural vitality in Lexington-Fayette County. Farmland preservation and innovative infill redevelopment are essential pillars of Fayette Alliance's mission and, more importantly, the prosperity of Lexington-Fayette County.