Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on October 28, 2010, at 1:32 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the LFUCG Government Center, located at 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky, with Carolyn Richardson presiding. The meeting addressed five agenda items spanning zoning map amendments, development plans, a zone change, and a neighborhood design overlay. Of the five items considered, four were approved and one — the James Waller Zoning Map Amendment & Bobbie E. & Sylvia Waller Property Zoning Development Plan — was postponed. Over the course of the meeting, the Commission took 5 votes, heard 3 public comments, and considered no formal presentations.

Attendance

Present: Patrick Brewer, Mike Cravens, Mike Owens, Derek Paulsen, Carolyn Richardson, Lynn Roche-Phillips, and William Wilson.

Absent: Eunice Beatty, Carla Blanton, Marie Copeland, and Ed Holmes.

Late: Lynn Roche-Phillips arrived after the meeting had begun.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took action on five items during the October 28, 2010 meeting.

• MAR 2010-9 – James Waller Zoning Map Amendment & Bobbie E. & Sylvia Waller Property Zoning Development Plan 0:01: The Commission voted to postpone this item. The motion was made by Mike Cravens and seconded by William Wilson. The voice vote passed 6–0, with Patrick Brewer, Mike Cravens, Mike Owens, Derek Paulsen, Carolyn Richardson, and William Wilson all voting in favor.

• DP 2010-54 – Chancellor Subdivision (The Springs) Development Plan 0:53: The Commission approved this development plan on a roll call vote. The motion was made by Mr. Owens and seconded by Mr. Wilson. Approval was granted subject to 19 conditions and a requirement for a traffic study for future parcels.

• MAR 2010-7 – LARE Properties, LLC Zone Change (R1C to P1) 1:07: The Commission approved the zone change for LARE Properties, LLC on a roll call vote. The motion was made by Patrick Brewer and seconded by Mike Cravens. Approval was conditioned on certification of the development plan within two weeks.

• ZDP 2010-47 – South Grove Subdivision, Lot 1 1:07: The Commission approved this subdivision plan on a roll call vote. The motion was made by Patrick Brewer and seconded by Mike Cravens. No conditions were attached to the approval.

• MAR 2010-10 – Montclair Neighborhood Design Character Overlay 3:16: The Commission approved the Montclair Neighborhood Design Character Overlay on a roll call vote. The motion was made by Ms. Phillips and seconded by Mr. Brewer. Approval was granted with staff alternative design standards.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Commission during the public comment period, all raising concerns related to a proposed Springs development and its potential impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.

• Dr. Patricia Dillon 25:30 spoke in opposition to the Springs development, expressing concerns about increased traffic and noise that she feared would negatively affect the neighborhood's quality of life.

• Michael Galbraith 30:30 voiced support for a petition to block access to Mitchell Avenue from the Springs development. Like Dr. Dillon, Mr. Galbraith cited traffic impacts on the neighborhood as a primary concern.

• Mary Margaret Heaton 34:34 spoke to the preservation of Mitchell Avenue, sharing her family's long history in the neighborhood and urging the Commission to carefully consider the broader community impacts of the proposed development.

All three speakers were unified in their concern about how the Springs development would affect the character and livability of the surrounding area, with traffic emerging as a central theme across multiple comments.

Appointments

The Commission took action on several reappointments to the Floodplain Appeals Committee during the meeting. The following individuals were reappointed to serve on the committee:

• Fred Eastridge was reappointed to the Floodplain Appeals Committee.
• Bill Hodges was reappointed to the Floodplain Appeals Committee.
• Doug Miner was reappointed to the Floodplain Appeals Committee.

All three reappointments were to the same body, the Floodplain Appeals Committee, indicating a continuity of membership on that committee. No new appointments or removals were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Contested Items

• Montclair Neighborhood Design Character Overlay: Some residents raised concerns about the proposed design standards under this overlay, taking issue with what they described as overly restrictive requirements, particularly those relating to building materials and roof pitches. The opposition came from community members who participated in the discussion. The extracted record does not specify the names of individual speakers, the positions taken by commissioners in response, or the final outcome of this item as recorded in the meeting data.

James Waller Zoning Map Amendment & Bobbie E. & Sylvia Waller Property Zoning De

1:01

The Commission took up Agenda Item 1, a petition for a zoning map amendment concerning properties on North Limestone. The proposal sought to rezone the parcels from Single Family Residential to Wholesale and Warehouse Business designation, along with an associated zoning development plan for the Bobbie E. & Sylvia Waller property.

• Key Speaker: Bruce Simpson presented on this agenda item.
• Staff Recommendation: Staff recommended disapproval of the requested zone map amendment.
• Outcome: The item was postponed.

The petition, brought in connection with the James Waller zoning map amendment and the Bobbie E. & Sylvia Waller property, represented a significant proposed change in land use classification for the affected North Limestone properties. The shift from Single Family Residential to Wholesale and Warehouse Business would have represented a substantial departure from the existing residential character of the zoning designation. Staff's recommendation of disapproval indicates concerns were identified with the proposal, though the item did not advance to a final vote at this meeting, as the Commission opted to postpone action.

Chancellor Subdivision (The Springs) Development Plan

53:16

The Commission reviewed a development plan for the Chancellor Subdivision, also known as The Springs, under Agenda Item 2. The item was brought forward as an ordinance for Commission consideration.

The development plan centered on a proposed pharmacy featuring a drive-through and associated parking spaces. Tony Barrett was the key speaker during this agenda item, presenting or addressing the details of the plan before the Commission.

Key issues discussed:

• The proposed pharmacy development, including its drive-through configuration
• The number and layout of parking spaces associated with the facility
• Traffic and access concerns were raised during the discussion, reflecting Commissioner interest in how the development would interact with surrounding roadways and entry/exit points for the site

The specific nature of the traffic and access concerns — such as the volume of vehicles expected to use the drive-through, the adequacy of ingress and egress points, or potential impacts on adjacent streets — were noted as part of the deliberation.

Following the discussion, the Commission voted to approve the development plan.

LARE Properties, LLC Zone Change

1:07:11

The Commission considered Agenda Item 3, an ordinance request from LARE Properties, LLC for a zone change affecting properties on Harrodsburg Road. The proposed change would rezone the parcels from R1C (single-family residential) to P1 (professional office), with the intended use being a medical office building.

Traci Wade was the key speaker on this item, presenting the case for the zone change to the Commission.

The Commission approved the zone change request.

South Grove Subdivision, Lot 1

1:07:41

The Commission reviewed a preliminary development plan for South Grove Subdivision, Lot 1 as Agenda Item 4. Tom Martin was a key speaker during the discussion of this item.

The presentation addressed two primary issues associated with the proposed development: floodplain considerations and access points for the subdivision. These topics formed the basis of the Commission's review of the preliminary development plan.

The Commission ultimately approved the preliminary development plan for South Grove Subdivision, Lot 1.

Montclair Neighborhood Design Character Overlay

3:16:36

The Commission took up Agenda Item 5, an ordinance concerning the Montclair Neighborhood Design Character Overlay. The item centered on the implementation of a neighborhood design overlay intended to preserve the character of the Montclair neighborhood.

Stan Harvey was the key speaker on this item. The discussion focused on establishing the overlay as a tool to maintain the existing design character of the Montclair area.

The Commission approved the ordinance.

*Note: The available source material for this agenda item is limited. For a full account of the presentation details, specific concerns raised, and the complete debate, viewers are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 3:16:36.*