Special Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on September 18, 2007, at 5:00 PM with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting focused primarily on legislative business, with the Council addressing one agenda item involving an ordinance second reading, which was approved. During the session, the Council conducted two motions and votes on various matters before them. The meeting also included public participation, with three citizens providing public comments to the Council. Overall, the meeting represented routine legislative business for the Urban County Government, with successful completion of the ordinance review process and opportunity for public input on matters of community interest.

Attendance

The Council meeting on September 18, 2007 had strong attendance with 14 members present and 2 absent.

Present: • Jim Newberry • McChord • Moloney • Stevens • Beard • Blevins • Blues • Crosbie • DeCamp • Ellinger • Gorton • Gray • James • Lane

Absent: • Myers • Stinnett

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted two roll call votes during the September 18, 2007 meeting, both passing unanimously.

Adoption of Planning Commission Findings 4:00:00 Councilmember DeCamp motioned to adopt the Findings of Fact for Conditional Approval of the Planning Commission, with Councilmember Stevens providing the second. The motion passed unanimously with all 13 council members voting in favor:

• Ayes (13): McChord, Moloney, Stevens, Beard, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, James, Lane
• Nays (0): None
• Abstentions (0): None

Zone Change Ordinance Approval 4:05:00 Councilmember DeCamp motioned to approve the ordinance for zone change at 225 Walton Avenue. The motion passed unanimously with all 13 council members voting in favor:

• Ayes (13): McChord, Moloney, Stevens, Beard, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, James, Lane
• Nays (0): None
• Abstentions (0): None

Both votes demonstrated complete council consensus on the planning-related matters before them. The unanimous support for both the Planning Commission's conditional approval findings and the zone change ordinance at 225 Walton Avenue indicates broad agreement among council members on these development issues.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the Council during the public comment period, all focusing on a proposed zone change and its associated development impacts.

Tim Kelly 2:00:00, president of the Lexington Herald-Leader, spoke in support of the zone change. Kelly highlighted the potential benefits the proposed development could bring to downtown revitalization efforts.

Fred Fugazzi 2:30:00, representing the Bell Court Neighborhood Association, expressed opposition to the zone change. Fugazzi raised concerns about increased traffic impacts and questioned whether the scale of the proposed development was appropriate for the area.

Bobby Clark 2:45:00, President of the Bell Court Neighborhood Association, also voiced concerns about the development proposal. Clark specifically cited traffic issues and the proposed height of the development as primary concerns for the neighborhood organization.

The public comments reflected a clear divide between development supporters and neighborhood representatives, with traffic impacts and development scale emerging as the primary points of contention from opponents.

Contested Items

The Council meeting on September 18, 2007, featured one contested item that drew community opposition.

Zone Change at 225 Walton Avenue

The proposed zone change at 225 Walton Avenue faced significant opposition from local residents. The Bell Court Neighborhood Association voiced concerns about the development, specifically citing issues with potential traffic impacts and the proposed height of the development.

The community opposition centered on how the zone change would affect the character of the neighborhood and the practical implications for residents living in the area. Traffic concerns suggested that residents were worried about increased congestion and safety issues that might result from the proposed development. The height concerns indicated that the scale of the proposed development was seen as incompatible with the existing neighborhood character.

The Bell Court Neighborhood Association served as the primary voice of opposition, representing the organized community response to the proposed zone change. Their involvement demonstrated active neighborhood engagement in the local planning process and highlighted the tension between development interests and existing community concerns.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and the final outcome of this contested item were not available in the provided source materials.*

Ordinance Second Reading

10:00

The Council conducted the second reading of an ordinance to rezone property at 225 Walton Avenue from Light Industrial (I-1) and Neighborhood Business (B-1) to Mixed Use Community (MU-3). The proposed rezoning included specific use restrictions and buffering requirements.

Key speakers during the discussion included Bruce Simpson, Fred Fugazzi, and Bobby Clark, who presented various aspects of the ordinance and addressed questions from Council members.

The ordinance outlined the transition of the Walton Avenue property to allow for mixed-use development while maintaining compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods through designated buffering measures. The MU-3 zoning classification would permit a broader range of commercial and residential uses compared to the existing industrial and neighborhood business designations.

Council members reviewed the use restrictions that would be implemented as part of the rezoning, ensuring that future development would align with community planning objectives and minimize potential impacts on adjacent properties.

Following discussion of the ordinance details and consideration of the proposed zoning changes, the Council approved the second reading. The approval allows the property owner to proceed with mixed-use development plans under the new MU-3 zoning classification, subject to the specified use limitations and buffering requirements outlined in the ordinance.