# Planning Commission Subdivision & Zoning Items - December 12, 2024 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Commission · December 12, 2024 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6295 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6295?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2024-12-12 - **Body**: Commission - **Last revised**: March 28, 2026 - **Length**: 2,828 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 Planning Commission convened on December 12, 2024, at 1:30 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Government Building, located at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. The Commission addressed three agenda items during the session, with mixed outcomes that reflected ongoing deliberations on significant development projects in the area. The Commission took three votes during the meeting, resulting in one approval and two postponements. The approved item was Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2, while both Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2, and the Red Mile Mixed-Use Development were postponed for future consideration. No public comments were recorded during this session, indicating either limited public attendance or no requests to speak on the items under consideration. The meeting's agenda focused entirely on development projects, with two items related to the Patchen Wilkes development and one concerning the Red Mile Mixed-Use Development. The postponement of two out of three items suggests that additional information, revisions, or further review may be needed before the Commission can make final determinations on these projects. ## Attendance All commission members were present for the December 12, 2024 meeting. **Present:** • Ivy Barksdale • Bruce Nicol • Judy Worth • Mike Owens • Frank Penn • Hillard Newman • David Filiatreau • Traci Wade • Daniel Crum • Chris Chaney • Cheryl Gallt • Paula Schumacher • Greg Lengal • Embry Beaty • Tracy Jones **Absent:** None **Late:** None The meeting achieved full attendance with all 15 commission members participating. ## Votes and Decisions The Commission took action on three items during the December 12, 2024 meeting, with one approval and two postponements. **PLN-MJSUB-24-00008 - Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2 Preliminary Subdivision Plan** The Commission approved the preliminary subdivision plan for Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2. The approval was granted subject to revised conditions, including the Urban County Engineer's acceptance of drainage, storm and sanitary sewers. The motion passed, though specific vote counts and individual commissioner votes were not recorded in the available data. **PLN-MJSUB-24-00009 - Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2 Preliminary Subdivision Plan** The Commission postponed consideration of the preliminary subdivision plan for Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2. The postponement was due to questions regarding compliance with conditional zoning restrictions that required further review before the Commission could make a decision. **PLN-MJDP-24-00056 - Red Mile Mixed-Use Development Amendment** The Commission postponed the Red Mile Mixed-Use Development amendment. The postponement was prompted by questions regarding the removal of significant trees and compliance with Article 28-6 of the zoning ordinance. These issues needed additional examination before the Commission could proceed with a vote. All three items were handled through motions, though the specific commissioners who made the motions and provided seconds were not documented in the available records. The voting method (voice vote or roll call) and individual vote tallies were also not specified for any of the three items. The postponements allow staff and applicants time to address the identified concerns before the items return to the Commission for future consideration. ## Contested Items Two development proposals faced significant opposition and were ultimately postponed during the December 12, 2024 Commission meeting due to compliance and community concerns. **Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2** This development proposal encountered questions regarding its compliance with existing conditional zoning restrictions. The specific nature of the compliance issues was not detailed in the available materials, but the concerns were substantial enough to warrant postponement of the item. The Commission chose to delay consideration rather than proceed with the application in its current form. **Red Mile Mixed-Use Development** The Red Mile Mixed-Use Development faced community opposition centered on two primary concerns: the proposed removal of significant trees from the development site and questions about the project's compliance with current zoning regulations. The tree removal issue appears to have been a particular point of contention, suggesting the presence of mature or otherwise notable vegetation that community members sought to preserve. Additionally, regulatory compliance questions similar to those affecting the Patchen Wilkes proposal created further obstacles for the development. Both items were postponed rather than voted down, indicating that the Commission may be willing to reconsider these proposals if the applicants address the outstanding compliance and community concerns. The postponements allow developers time to resolve regulatory questions and potentially modify their proposals to address community objections, particularly regarding environmental impacts in the case of the Red Mile development. The pattern of postponements suggests the Commission's preference for ensuring full regulatory compliance and addressing substantive community concerns before moving forward with controversial development proposals. ## Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2 The Commission reviewed application PLN-MJSUB-24-00008 for the Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2 development project. The proposal involved revisions to the street layout and lot configuration for this subdivision phase. EA Partners presented the application on behalf of the developer. The plan called for modifications to the previously approved street design and adjustments to the arrangement of residential lots within the development area. Prior to the Commission meeting, the Subdivision Committee had reviewed the proposal and provided their recommendation. The Committee endorsed approval of the revised plans, though they included updated conditions that would need to be met as part of the development approval. The Commission considered the Subdivision Committee's analysis and recommendation during their deliberations. The revised street layout and lot configuration were evaluated for compliance with applicable zoning and subdivision regulations. Following discussion of the proposal, the Commission voted to approve PLN-MJSUB-24-00008 for the Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2 development. The approval incorporated the revised conditions recommended by the Subdivision Committee, which will guide the implementation of the modified street and lot layout plans. The approved revisions will allow the developer to proceed with the updated design for this phase of the Patchen Wilkes subdivision, subject to meeting the specified conditions established through the review process. ## Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2 The Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJSUB-24-00009, a subdivision proposal for Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2. The plan involves revising the street layout and lot configuration for the development. EA Partners presented the proposal on behalf of the applicant. The project seeks to modify the existing subdivision design through changes to how streets are arranged and lots are configured within the development. However, the Subdivision Committee had previously reviewed this application and recommended postponement. The committee raised questions about whether the proposed revisions comply with conditional zoning restrictions that apply to the property. These compliance concerns needed to be resolved before the Commission could move forward with consideration of the subdivision plan. Due to the outstanding questions regarding conditional zoning compliance identified by the Subdivision Committee, the Commission postponed consideration of the Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2 subdivision proposal. The postponement allows time for the applicant and staff to address the compliance issues before bringing the item back to the Commission for review. The postponement ensures that all zoning requirements and conditions are properly met before the Commission makes a decision on the revised street layout and lot configuration proposed for this subdivision. ## Red Mile Mixed-Use Development The Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-24-00056 regarding the Red Mile Mixed-Use Development. The proposed amendment includes plans for a new hotel and entertainment building along with revisions to the existing parking circulation layout. Vision Engineering presented the development proposal to the Commission. The amendment represents modifications to the previously approved mixed-use project, specifically adding hospitality and entertainment components to the development plan. However, the item faced significant concerns from the Subdivision Committee, which had reviewed the proposal prior to the Commission meeting. The Committee identified two primary issues that led to their recommendation for postponement: concerns about tree removal associated with the development and questions regarding zoning compliance. The tree removal concerns likely relate to existing vegetation on the site that would need to be cleared for the new hotel and entertainment building construction. The zoning compliance issues suggest potential conflicts between the proposed development elements and current zoning requirements for the area. Based on the Subdivision Committee's recommendation and the unresolved concerns, the Commission voted to postpone consideration of PLN-MJDP-24-00056. This postponement will allow the applicant and staff additional time to address the tree removal and zoning compliance issues identified by the Subdivision Committee before the item returns for further review. The postponement means the Red Mile Mixed-Use Development amendment will need to be resubmitted to a future Commission meeting once the outstanding concerns have been adequately addressed. --- ## Decisions - **PLN-MJSUB-24-00008** — passed (0-0): Approval of Patchen Wilkes, Unit 1, Phase 2 preliminary subdivision plan - **PLN-MJSUB-24-00009** — postponed (0-0): Postponement of Patchen Wilkes, Unit 2 preliminary subdivision plan - **PLN-MJDP-24-00056** — postponed (0-0): Postponement of Red Mile Mixed-Use Development amendment --- ## Full transcript As long as there's a breath in me, I'll make yours just as sweet. 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It's funny how I find myself in love with you. If I could buy my reasoning, I'd pay it to lose. If I could buy my reasoning, I'd pay it to lose. If I could buy my reasoning, I'd pay it to lose. If I could buy my reasoning, I'd pay it to lose. It's funny how I find myself in love with you. It's funny how I find myself in love with you. I completed my education at Western Carolina University in Asheville, North Carolina. I completed my undergrad and my Masters there in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. During my time there, I worked at Cherokee Indian Hospital in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. And then also I did mobile crisis with Appalachian Community Services. So I have quite a history in crisis counseling. Not necessarily something I thought I found myself in but have grown to love. I'm just glad to be a part of this position. Yeah, so if I understand it correctly, the governor essentially allocated some dollars for us to create this team. And can you give us an example of what it would look like if we were responding to a situation? So currently if you have somebody that calls in with a behavioral health issue, like maybe somebody thinking about suicide or ideation, our current model is to respond with eight first responders. And that's a lot of people to put into somebody's house that's experiencing a crisis. So we're going to change the way we respond and put a little more appropriate response, putting the professional in the scene to help de-escalate a situation and figure out what's the best solution for the individual. So I can imagine that responding to a crisis situation with a little bit more kindness and compassion is probably going to make for a more successful conclusion to a situation versus arresting somebody or taking them to jail just because we don't quite understand the situation. I think it's very fair. I think providing that resource, meeting the individual where they are, providing the resource there where they are, and maybe finding a better solution. Currently our solutions are expanding. Right now it used to be you say jail was always a possibility. It's not always the appropriate place, but sometimes that's the only solution. But UK has opened up their empath center recently, and that brings another alternative. NuVista is looking at opening up a facility as well for not, say, emergency room, but more like kind of like an urgent care, if you will. And so there's a lot of things happening in this space in Lexington right now, and not just Lexington, in the Commonwealth, but Lexington is really, I think, on the forefront of that conversation right now. So having Chris partnering with a police officer to be able to provide another response solution is positive for our community, positive for the residents that are in crisis, so we can do something a little different than our traditional way of thinking. Chris, what creative ways do you use to kind of deescalate a situation and show somebody a little bit more compassion than a typical first responder might? Yeah, I feel that it's about presence, just being a human and not necessarily having the barrier of like a badge or a barrier of like an outfit or whatever, maybe even a title. I just really value just being an individual and being a human with somebody. My, you know, the way I go about things is mostly on like needs, like what need is an individual trying to get met. I believe that, you know, people act out or every action is, you know, there's a need behind an action, and so addressing what situation they're in, how can we deescalate, and then refer to resources, you know, whether it's safety planning, whether it's just hearing somebody out for 5 to 10 minutes, getting somebody a bite to eat, it can be as little as that. And so I think it's just really just bringing presence and bringing, you know, my unique self and the experience that I've had over my life. Yeah, that's great. I think it's really proof that Lexington is putting a lot of emphasis on mental health and how we can address the needs of our community in a different way, and like you said, really treating someone as a whole person and not just a situation is something that's really important. Is there anything that you feel is still missing? Do you feel like there is a piece that is kind of still in the works that we are aspiring to become, or do you feel like we're really on the right path to kind of making a difference in the community? I think this is one piece of the puzzle. I think there are some other pieces of the puzzle that we are working on to try to get in. I think the next logical step that I think hopefully will come to fruition is maybe putting somebody at dispatch. There's conversations about putting a behavioral health resource to take a telephone call, and then that kind of goes aligned with, hey, if somebody calls 911 and is in crisis, our dispatchers are phenomenal, but being able to have that educated individual to be able to transfer a phone call to, maybe a de-escalation can happen over the telephone. Maybe that de-escalation can start, and they still send out the mobile crisis response team to engage that individual. But from the time that phone call starts, you can already start that whole process of de-escalating and helping an individual that's experiencing whatever emergency they're having. And so I think that's a good puzzle piece that's being discussed right now and hopefully will come to fruition sooner than later. So those are all things that I'm looking at, and it's a lot of fun right now. Chris, do you feel like this is a model that is seen in other cities, or are we kind of an industry leader in this? Yeah, no, I've spoken to many other co-response departments within the police departments in Colorado, California, Washington, all over the country. This is really new, like community policing, and I think it's been shown to be effective, and I'm hoping that even if it's just me, one person goes a long way, and this is sort of something pretty new for at least the city of Lexington. But I think it will be good. I think it's probably really helpful for you to have a support network to kind of fall back on and ask questions about how to handle specific situations and how maybe you could handle something different. I think that would be really beneficial for you as well. It's really collaborative, like having the community paramedicine team and learning from them, the paramedics or the firefighters and the social workers. I don't feel isolated at all, which is really neat. I'm able to consult with whoever may be even in the city, so it's been really nice to engage with everybody. That's awesome. Is this an arm of paramedicine or is it completely separate? Good question. The paramedicine team is such a collaborative effort. Lexington Police, we have the firefighters, paramedics that are on the team, we have the social workers. And so we were, I think, fairly vocal about wanting to apply for this. In fact, when we noticed the funding opportunity came out, we sent it over to the police because we truly believe it's an integral part of police response. They've been very supportive of us taking the lead and kind of steering the ship, and so they've been great. It is such a collaborative effort between the fire department and the police department. Chris is a fire department employee, but he's going to be partnering with a police officer. And so it's truly going to be a collaborative effort between. So it's just another thing that community paramedicine. We also look at it from a continuation of care, where Chris and the police officer may make an individual on a Monday evening and comes back and says, hey, can somebody follow up with him on Tuesday or Wednesday so they can go on to the next individual that's experiencing that emergency. And the community paramedicine was never a crisis response team. Not that we didn't, but generally speaking, we were post-crisis, post-emergent situation that we were engaging. And so it's kind of a continuity, right? Maybe Chris set up some appointments for an individual. He can now drop it off on our lap to say, hey, can you make sure that individual made those appointments and didn't have any barriers, and the community paramedicine team can pick up that and see those and follow up with that individual over time. So I think it's just a continuation. Chris, do you feel like this, your role, may end up maybe freeing up some of our other first responders that don't need to necessarily stick around in a situation, that you can kind of hang back and kind of manage a situation better than our typical first responders might? Yeah, I wouldn't say better. Maybe a different approach. Sure. Like a more mental health-informed perspective. But yeah, I do think that having eight, whether it's first responders, police officers, or firefighters, is pretty overwhelming for anybody in a mental health crisis. So hopefully just having me being there, I'd be able to alleviate some of those resources so they can better be where they need to be. It's like the most appropriate level of care. And so that's the whole goal. That's great. What we did is looked at the volume based on E911 data. And our first thought when we started working on this project was, it's going to be a Friday-Saturday. How do you hire somebody for a Friday and a Saturday? Everybody wants a weekend. And when we got the data, we were really surprised. Saturdays and Sundays are our slowest days. It ends up being Monday through Thursday end up being our busiest days. And so we started looking through the data and going, okay, what's that window of opportunity, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m., around 10 a.m. to about 8 p.m.? You could do 11 to 9, but somewhere in that area ends up being about the highest peak volume of hitting that number. Outside of that window, the goal will be that we'll resort back to our traditional response, whatever that looks like. But this unit will be the primary for those types of calls. And if they're on a call or at a service because it's outside of those hours, we'll resort back to our traditional response. So we'll still be responding. Well, thank you both so much for joining me today. And thank you for your hard work with our community paramedicine team. And, Chris, welcome to our team. We really are looking forward to what you can bring to our community. And you're a really valued position, so we're really happy that you're here. And thank you for joining us today. As always, you can get my weekly newsletter by emailing my office at wbaxter at lexingtonky.gov or follow me on all social media outlets. Thanks again, and have a great day. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Hello, and thank you for joining us on this episode of My Council Comment. I'm Whitney Elliott Baxter, 9th District Councilmember, and today I'm in the fire training facility joined by Captain Seth Lockhart of our community paramedicine team and Chris Perrine, our mobile crisis responder. Thanks for joining me today. Thanks for inviting us. So can you tell me a little bit about how the program started and what it looks like for our community? Yeah, so a couple years ago we were part of kind of an interview as the state was doing research about needs in the community around mental health and behavioral health response. And one of the things that we highlighted was the fact that, you know, there was no crisis response team in Lexington, really anywhere in the state of Kentucky. And they secured a grant to help fund these programs. Last year they took applications about a year ago and January announced seven communities. Lexington is one of the communities that received the grant, so we have been working over the last few months of developing it, hiring our new employee, bringing him on board and getting him oriented so we can get this going. That's great. We've got Chris Perrine here who is our mobile crisis responder. And tell me a little bit about your background and what you feel like you can bring our community. Yeah, so I completed my education at Western Carolina University in Asheville, North Carolina. I completed my undergrad and my master's there in clinical mental health counseling. During my time there I worked at Cherokee Indian Hospital in the inpatient psychiatric unit. And then also I did mobile crisis with Appalachian Community Services. So I have quite a history in crisis counseling. Quite a lot of it, yeah. Not necessarily something I thought I found myself in, but have grown to love. I'm just glad to be a part of this position. Yeah, so if I understand it correctly, the governor essentially allocated some dollars for us to create this team. And can you give us an example of what it would look like if we were responding to a situation? So currently if you have somebody that calls in with a behavioral health issue, like maybe somebody thinking about suicidal ideation, our current model is to respond with eight first responders. And that's a lot of people to put into somebody's house that's experiencing a crisis. So we're going to change the way we respond and put a little more appropriate response, putting the professional in the scene to help de-escalate a situation and figure out what's the best solution for the individual. So I can imagine that responding to a crisis situation with a little bit more kindness and compassion is probably going to make for a more successful conclusion to a situation versus arresting somebody or taking them to jail just because we don't quite understand the situation. I think it's very fair.