Planning Commission Subdivision Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission met on February 12, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Urban County Government Building, 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. Mike Owens presided over the meeting, which included consideration of five agenda items. The Commission took six motions and votes during the session and heard one public comment.

Of the five agenda items considered, three were approved and two were postponed. The Consent Agenda comprising six items was approved. The Commission also approved the CHEVY CHASE SHOPPES project and the CHANCELLOR SUBDIVISION (THE SPRINGS) (PARCEL 3) (AMD). Two items—LONG VALLEY FARM, KY, INC., UNIT 2-B (AMD) and RICHARDSON PROPERTY (AMD)—were postponed for further consideration at a future meeting.

Attendance

Present: Mike Owens, Mike Cravens, Will Berkley, Patrick Brewer, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, Joseph Smith, Bill Wilson, Chris King, Bill Sallee, Barbara Rackers, Tom Martin, Cheryl Gallt, Kelly Hunter, Dave Jarman, Denice Bullock, Hillard Newman, Casey Kaucher, Tim Queary, Greg Lengal, Joshua Thiel, Tracy Jones, and Andrea Brown.

Absent: David Drake and Frank Penn.

Late: None.

Votes and Decisions

Postponement of PLAN 2014-101F: Long Valley Farm, KY, Inc., Unit 2-B (AMD) 8:50

Motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion to postpone this item to March 12, 2015 passed by voice vote. All eight members present voted in favor: Mike Owens, Mike Cravens, Will Berkley, Patrick Brewer, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, Joseph Smith, and Bill Wilson.

Postponement of DP 2015-6: Richardson Property (AMD) 9:53

Motion by Carolyn Plumlee, seconded by Joseph Smith. The motion to postpone this item to February 25, 2015 passed by voice vote with all eight members voting in favor.

Approval of Consent Agenda Items 13:19

Motion by Carolyn Plumlee, seconded by Joseph Smith. The motion to approve Consent Agenda items as recommended by the Subdivision Committee passed by voice vote with all eight members voting in favor.

Approval of Bond Release and Call 14:20

Motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Bill Wilson. The motion to approve the release and call of bonds as detailed in a memorandum dated February 12, 2015 passed by voice vote with all eight members voting in favor.

Approval of DP 2015-5: Chevy Chase Shoppes 43:27

Motion by Will Berkley, seconded by Mike Cravens. The motion to approve DP 2015-5 with revised conditions and approval of waiver passed by voice vote. Seven members voted in favor: Mike Owens, Mike Cravens, Patrick Brewer, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, Joseph Smith, and Bill Wilson. Will Berkley abstained from the vote. The approval includes 17 conditions addressing engineering, traffic, landscaping, fire safety, parking, and other site plan requirements.

Approval of DP 2015-7: Chancellor Subdivision (The Springs) (Parcel 3) (AMD) 1:24:05

Motion by Patrick Brewer, seconded by Mike Cravens. The motion to approve DP 2015-7 with revised conditions passed by voice vote. Seven members voted in favor: Mike Owens, Mike Cravens, Will Berkley, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, Joseph Smith, and Bill Wilson. Patrick Brewer abstained from the vote. The approval includes six conditions addressing building height, parking lot modifications, plan notes, and landscape buffer documentation.

Public Comment

Rosa Brown addressed the board regarding traffic and parking concerns affecting Marquis Avenue and McCaw's Alley 29:39.

Brown raised several specific issues:

• Traffic congestion: She expressed concerns about traffic congestion in the area, particularly related to delivery truck activity.

• Parking availability: Brown questioned the adequacy of parking availability on Marquis Avenue, noting that the area is currently used by both Kroger employees and UK students.

• Public parking maintenance: She asked for clarification about who would be responsible for maintaining public parking in the area going forward.

• Metering questions: Brown inquired whether any public parking would be metered.

Contested Items

Landscape buffers for Chancellor Subdivision

A heated discussion arose regarding the landscaping requirements for the Chancellor Subdivision. The primary disagreement centered on whether the applicant's existing landscaping met or exceeded the standards outlined in Article 18, and whether additional enforceable buffers should be included on the development plan.

Staff members emphasized the importance of establishing clear, enforceable buffer requirements to facilitate future enforcement and ensure compliance with municipal standards. The applicant, conversely, argued that their completed landscaping work already exceeded the Article 18 requirements and advocated for flexibility in determining final planting specifications rather than having rigid mandates imposed on the development plan.

The core tension reflected differing priorities: staff sought certainty and enforceability through documented requirements, while the applicant preferred discretion in their approach to landscaping implementation.

LONG VALLEY FARM, KY, INC., UNIT 2-B (AMD)

Plan 2014-101F

8:50

The Planning Commission discussed the Long Valley Farm, KY, Inc., Unit 2-B amendment application. Key speakers included Tom Martin, Mike Cravens, and Carolyn Richardson.

The Commission postponed this item due to a procedural requirement not being met. Specifically, the applicant failed to post a required sign on the property as mandated by Article 6-4(j)(6) of the Land Subdivision Regulations. This posting is a necessary step in the application process.

The applicant requested a one-month postponement to allow time to comply with the signage requirement. The Commission approved this postponement, with the item scheduled to return for consideration on March 12, 2015.

Outcome: Postponed to March 12, 2015

RICHARDSON PROPERTY (AMD)

Identifier: DP 2015-6

Type: Discussion

The Planning Commission addressed the Richardson Property amendment during this meeting. 9:53

Key Participants

The discussion involved Tom Martin, Carolyn Plumlee, and Joseph Smith.

Summary

The Planning Commission postponed consideration of this item. The primary reason for the postponement was a lack of graphic clarity regarding the proposed new condominium building. The applicant requested a two-week postponement to allow time to address these concerns.

Outcome

The item was postponed to February 25, 2015.

Consent Agenda: 6 Items

13:19

The Commission approved six items on the consent agenda. The items included conditional approvals for final subdivision and development plans, as recommended by the Subdivision Committee.

Key speakers on this agenda item were Bill Sallee, Carolyn Plumlee, and Joseph Smith.

No discussion was requested by any Commission member or audience member regarding the consent agenda items. The items were approved without debate or concerns being raised.

Outcome: All six items on the consent agenda were approved.

CHEVY CHASE SHOPPES

The Commission reviewed and approved the revised development plan for Chevy Chase Shoppes (DP 2015-5) 43:27.

Key Participants

The discussion involved Tom Martin, Tony Barrett, and Rosa Brown.

Approval and Conditions

The Commission approved the revised development plan with conditions. The approval included a waiver to allow reverse-angle parking at the site. Additionally, the Commission approved a waiver to permit sidewalk extension beyond the right-of-way on Marquis Avenue.

Off-Site Parking Documentation

The applicant requested a modification to the timing of off-site parking documentation requirements. Specifically, the applicant requested that off-site parking documentation be tied to building permits rather than plan certification. This change would delay when the parking documentation would need to be submitted and verified.

Outcome

The revised development plan for Chevy Chase Shoppes was approved with the conditions and waivers noted above.

CHANCELLOR SUBDIVISION (THE SPRINGS) (PARCEL 3) (AMD)

Identifier: DP 2015-7

The Commission reviewed and approved an amended development plan for Chancellor Subdivision (Parcel 3) during this agenda item 1:24:05.

Key Speakers and Presentation

Tom Martin, Matt Carter, and Mr. Johnson participated in the discussion of this development plan amendment.

Project Details

The amended development plan included revised conditions with enhanced landscape buffers that exceed the requirements outlined in Article 18. The applicant demonstrated extensive pre-construction landscaping efforts and documented community engagement activities related to the project.

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommended that a formal note be added to the plan to ensure future enforceability of the landscaping and other conditions outlined in the amendment.

Outcome

The Commission approved the amended development plan for Chancellor Subdivision (Parcel 3) with the revised conditions and enhanced landscape buffer requirements.