Planning & Public Works

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Planning & Public Works Committee met on July 1, 2014, at 1:00 p.m., with Farmer presiding as Chair. The committee addressed five agenda items during the meeting, taking six votes and hearing five public comments.

Of the five agenda items considered, two were approved and three were deferred. The committee approved the Residential Parking Permit District Procedures, presented by Farmer and Clarke, as well as Items Referred. Three items were deferred for further consideration: the Land Disturbance Permit Fees proposal by Gorton and Links, the P-1 Text Amendment for Mobile Food Vendors presented by Akers, and the Off Premise Signage item presented by Lawless.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on July 1, 2014:

• Farmer, Chair
• Mossotti, Vice Chair
• Gorton
• Ellinger
• Kay
• Ford
• Lawless
• Beard
• Clarke
• Henson

No members were absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included six votes, all related to Resolution 0073-26. All votes passed by voice vote.

Amend Section III Designation of Residential Parking Permit Area of Resolution 168-90 1:08:22 Motion by Clarke, seconded by Kay. Passed by voice vote.

Remove 'Maintenance of major roadways' from committee referrals 1:30:52 Motion by Farmer, seconded by Kay. Passed by voice vote.

Remove 'Fees to offset historic preservation services' from committee referrals 1:31:52 Motion by Kay, seconded by Gorton. Passed by voice vote.

Remove 'Examine fee structure for planning, preservation, and development services' from committee referrals 1:32:33 Motion by Gorton, seconded by Kay. Passed by voice vote.

Remove 'Leaf collection review' from committee referrals 1:33:04 Motion by Farmer, seconded by Kay. Passed by voice vote.

Remove 'Residential Parking Permit District Procedures' from committee referrals 1:43:59 Motion by Farmer, seconded by Kay. Passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

Five speakers addressed the council on various topics during the public comment period.

Off-Premise Signage

Lawless spoke at 1:19:10 about concerns regarding excessive real estate signage in high-traffic areas, particularly on Euclid and High Streets. Lawless noted that signs are frequently left up year-round and often misrepresent rental availability, creating visual blight. He called for stronger enforcement of signage regulations and the implementation of escalating fines.

Residential Parking Permit Program

Beard raised questions at 1:05:31 about the practicality of identifying traffic generators, particularly in areas with transient parking such as university zones. Beard suggested that signage may be a more effective approach to notify potential traffic generators.

Ford addressed concerns at 1:06:09 about the administrative burden that could result from requiring council members to initiate the residential parking permit process following a study. While acknowledging the importance of transparency, Ford expressed concern about the workload implications for council members.

Traffic Safety at Glendover and Valley

Two speakers commented on the traffic engineering solution for the Glendover and Valley intersection.

Gorton spoke at 1:36:18, emphasizing that the traffic engineering study recommended against a three-way stop due to safety risks. Gorton noted that the current solution, while imperfect, is being developed collaboratively with engineering to avoid creating additional dangers.

Henson raised concerns at 1:37:21 that the traffic engineering solution has not been fully vetted by all neighborhoods and that many residents feel their concerns remain unaddressed, despite the project's progress.

Contested Items

Off-Premise Signage Enforcement

Residents and council members expressed strong concern over excessive real estate signage in university areas, citing visual blight and neighborhood degradation. The community called for stronger enforcement mechanisms to address the problem. This item generated community opposition regarding how the city should regulate and enforce off-premise signage standards.

Traffic Safety at Glendover and Valley

A heated discussion emerged over the adequacy of the current traffic engineering solution at the Glendover and Valley intersection. Disagreement centered on whether the proposed approach sufficiently addressed community safety concerns. Some council members argued the issue had not been fully vetted, while others affirmed the collaborative approach that had been taken. The dispute reflected differing views on the thoroughness of the engineering review and community input process.

Residential Parking Permit Process

Council members debated the administrative procedures governing the residential parking permit process. The procedural dispute focused on the burden placed on council members to initiate the process following a study, and whether the current system created undue delays or inefficiencies. The disagreement centered on how to streamline or modify the administrative requirements to better serve both the council and residents seeking permits.

Land Disturbance Permit Fees – Gorton/Links

4:42

The committee reviewed a proposed fee structure for land disturbance permits during this agenda item. The discussion involved key speakers Gorton, Kay, and Clarke.

The presentation examined the current permit fee system, which operates under a flat fee of $25 regardless of project scope. The committee's analysis concluded that this flat fee structure does not accurately reflect the actual time required to review land disturbance permit applications. The proposed fee structure under consideration would have differentiated charges based on project type and acreage, suggesting a more nuanced approach to cost recovery.

Despite the findings that the current fee structure inadequately compensates for review time, the committee ultimately recommended against implementing changes at this time. The decision to defer action was based on two primary concerns:

• The complexity of implementing a new fee structure
• The lack of public input on the proposed changes

The outcome was to defer this matter, meaning the committee chose to postpone further action rather than move forward with fee modifications. The current $25 flat fee structure remained in place pending future reconsideration with additional stakeholder engagement.

Residential Parking Permit District Procedures – Farmer/Clarke

1:08:22

The committee approved a revised ordinance to update the process for establishing residential parking permit districts. The discussion involved Clarke, Means, Ford, and Lawless.

Key Changes

The ordinance introduced several procedural updates to the residential parking permit district establishment process:

• Petitioners are now required to identify traffic generators as part of their application
• The Lexington Parking Authority assumes responsibility for conducting studies and issuing notifications
• Public notice and comment procedures were implemented to ensure transparency in the process

Outcome

The committee approved the revised ordinance.

P-1 Text Amendment for Mobil Food Vendors – Akers

1:09:26

The committee discussed a proposed text amendment to allow mobile food vendors to operate in P-1 zones.

Key Discussion Points

Councilmember Kay raised concerns about mobile food vendors in areas near residential zones, suggesting that conditional use permits would be an appropriate regulatory approach for those locations. Councilmember Lawless also expressed support for implementing conditional use requirements as part of the amendment framework.

Speakers

The discussion involved Akers, King, Lawless, Kay, and Gorton.

Outcome

The committee voted to defer action on the amendment. Rather than proceeding with the current proposal, the committee requested that alternative draft versions be prepared for future consideration. This deferral allows time to incorporate the conditional use approach discussed during the meeting and to develop options that address the concerns raised about proximity to residential areas.

Off Premise Signage – Lawless

1:09:26

The committee discussed enforcement challenges related to real estate signage, with particular focus on signs placed in high-traffic areas.

Issues Raised

The committee identified several enforcement challenges:

• Visual clutter from signage in prominent locations
• Lack of regulation governing the timing of sign placement
• Difficulty in verifying property vacancies to justify sign removal

Key Participants

The discussion involved Lawless, King, and Ford.

Committee Response

The committee agreed to explore alternative enforcement approaches to address these issues, including:

• Escalating fine structures for violations
• Transferring sign removal authority to Code Enforcement

Outcome

The agenda item was deferred, indicating the committee did not reach a final resolution and plans to revisit the matter at a future meeting.

Items Referred

1:30:52

The committee reviewed several items that had been referred for further consideration. During this discussion, members Farmer, Gorton, and Henson addressed the status of multiple outstanding matters.

The committee removed the following items from referral status:

• Maintenance of major roadways
• Historic preservation fees
• Fee structure review
• Leaf collection

One item was retained for continued discussion: the multi-way stop at Glendover and Valley. The committee determined that this intersection required further consideration due to ongoing community concerns about the proposed traffic control measure.

The outcome of this agenda item was approved.