Planning Commission Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission met on October 14, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Urban County Government Building, 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. Carolyn Richardson presided over the meeting, which included six agenda items and resulted in nine motions and votes. The Commission approved the minutes from the previous meeting, addressed postponements or withdrawals, and approved items related to land subdivision, performance bonds and letters of credit, and a public facility review for BCTC, Lugares Community and Technical College (PFR 2010-5). The meeting included three public comments from attendees.

Attendance

Present: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, Mike Owens, William Wilson, Eunice Beatty, Carla Blanton, and Patrick Brewer.

Absent: Derek Paulsen.

Late: Lynn Roche-Phillips, Marie Copeland, William Wilson, and Eunice Beatty.

Votes and Decisions

Approval of August 12, 2010 Meeting Minutes 1:38 Motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Patrick Brewer. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, and Marie Copeland.

Postponement of DP 2010-46: L.T. Ruth Property (AMD) to November 11, 2010 2:49 Motion by Patrick Brewer, seconded by Mike Owens. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, and Ed Holmes.

Postponement of DP 2010-15: Gess Property, Unit 8 to November 11, 2010 4:31 Motion by Mike Owens, seconded by Patrick Brewer. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, and Carla Blanton.

Postponement of DP 2010-54: Chancellor Subdivision (The Springs) to October 28, 2010 5:42 Motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Ed Holmes. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, Carla Blanton, and Patrick Brewer.

Approval of Consent Agenda Items 11:53 Motion by Patrick Brewer, seconded by Mike Cravens. Passed by voice vote with one abstention. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, and Carla Blanton.

Postponement of PLAN 2010-100F: NDC Property (Wellington), Unit 1-B, Section 2, Lots 19 & 20 (AMD) to November 11, 2010 14:26 Motion by William Wilson, seconded by Patrick Brewer. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, Carla Blanton, and Patrick Brewer.

Approval of PLAN 2010-106F: Tuscany, Unit 6, Section 1, Lots 1 & 2 18:23 Motion by Ed Holmes, seconded by Mike Cravens. Passed by voice vote with 11 conditions including Urban County Engineer acceptance of drainage and sewers, Traffic Engineer approval of street cross-sections, Building Inspection approval of landscaping, and other departmental approvals and requirements.

Approval of Release and Call of Performance Bonds and Letters of Credit 19:33 Motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Patrick Brewer. Passed by voice vote. Voting in favor: Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, Eunice Beatty, William Wilson, Marie Copeland, Ed Holmes, Carla Blanton, and Patrick Brewer.

Approval of Public Facility Review PFR 2010-5: BCTC, Lugares Community and Technical College 41:44 Motion by Mike Owens, seconded by Patrick Brewer. Passed by voice vote with two recommendations: use best management practices to protect water supply from contamination due to proximity to Cane Run Creek and wellhead protection area, and establish a 50-foot buffer around the cemetery with trees, hedge, and wall or fence in compliance with zoning ordinance requirements.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the meeting with concerns regarding campus development and infrastructure.

Stan Harvey 31:57 spoke about funding for renovation of the old laundry building. He noted that the building is deteriorating and requires stabilization. A federal grant has been applied for to support this work. Harvey indicated that if the federal grant is not approved, BCTC will pursue alternative funding partnerships, including tax credits through national landmark status and support from the Bluegrass Trust.

Mr. Olin 34:18 raised questions about transportation access and LexTran coordination. He reported that LexTran has expressed interest in establishing a dedicated bus stop on Newtown Pike and developing a potential north-side transfer station. However, Olin noted that the final decisions regarding these transportation improvements are not within BCTC's control.

Ms. Copeland 37:50 addressed student capacity and building height concerns. She questioned whether an enrollment projection of 12,000 people over 20 years is sufficient for the campus. Copeland also expressed concern about building heights on the campus, noting that while the campus plan includes taller buildings in the interior of the development, the frontage along Newtown Pike is limited to three stories.

Contested Items

Building Height and Student Capacity

A heated discussion arose regarding the projected student population and building heights for the proposed development. Commissioner Ms. Copeland raised concerns about the long-term enrollment projections, noting that the development was planned to accommodate a student population of 12,000 over a 20-year period. She also expressed concerns about the height of the buildings under consideration, arguing that some structures may exceed residential scale and could be out of character with the surrounding neighborhood.

The core of the disagreement centered on whether the proposed building heights were appropriate for the area and whether the projected student capacity was sustainable and compatible with neighborhood character.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 1:32 p.m. by Chair Carolyn Richardson 0:00. The agenda was reviewed at the start of the meeting, and the proceedings began with the approval of the previous meeting's minutes.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the August 12, 2010, meeting were presented for approval. 1:38

Key speakers on this agenda item included Mike Cravens and Patrick Brewer.

The minutes were approved by voice vote without opposition.

Postponements or Withdrawals

2:12

Three development plans were postponed during this agenda item. The Commission deferred consideration of DP 2010-46, DP 2010-15, and DP 2010-54.

Each postponement followed the same procedural format: a Commission member made a motion to defer the plan, another member seconded the motion, and the motion carried unanimously. The key speakers involved in these actions were Matt Carter, Rory Kahly, and Mr. Sallee.

All three development plans were successfully deferred without opposition.

Land Subdivision Items

The Commission reviewed and approved several items related to land subdivision during this agenda item 6:47.

Items Reviewed

The Commission considered preliminary and final subdivision plans and development plans as part of the Consent Agenda. Staff recommended approval of PLAN 2010-106F, which included 11 conditions for approval.

Key Participants

The discussion involved Chris King, Bill Sallee, Cheryl Gallt, and Rory Kahly.

Outcome

PLAN 2010-106F was approved following discussion among the Commission members. The approval was contingent upon the 11 conditions recommended by staff.

Performance Bonds and Letters of Credit

19:00

The Commission considered the release and call of performance bonds and letters of credit during this agenda item.

Mike Cravens moved to approve the matter, and Patrick Brewer seconded the motion. The Commission approved the release and call of performance bonds and letters of credit.

Public Facility Review: BCTC, Lugares Community and Technical College (PFR 2010-5)

20:07

A presentation was made regarding the proposed redevelopment of the Eastern State Hospital property into a campus for Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Key speakers Bill Sallee and Stan Harvey presented the project details to the Commission.

The proposed development includes a four-phase implementation plan spanning 20 years. The project emphasizes three primary design principles:

• Sustainability
• Historic preservation
• Community integration

The Commission reviewed the public facility proposal and voted to approve it. The approval included two specific recommendations:

• A recommendation regarding cemetery buffer requirements
• A recommendation concerning water protection measures

The project represents a significant adaptive reuse of the Eastern State Hospital property, transforming the historic site into an educational facility while maintaining consideration for the site's existing features and surrounding community context.