Urban County Council - Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on March 9, 2015, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Steve Kay presiding as the meeting officer. The council addressed one primary agenda item during the session, focusing on a zoning change ordinance for properties located on North Limestone Street. The proposed ordinance sought to rezone the affected properties from R-1C (single-family residential) to MU-2 (mixed-use), which was ultimately approved by the council.

During the meeting, the council conducted two formal votes on motions related to the business at hand. The session also included public participation, with two citizens providing comments to the council regarding matters under consideration. The meeting demonstrated the council's ongoing work in managing urban development and zoning decisions that affect the character and use of properties within the Lexington urban county area.

Attendance

Present: Steve Kay, Ford, Gibbs, Henson, Lamb, Lane, Moloney, Mossotti, Scutchfield, Bledsoe, Brown, Farmer

Absent: Stinnett, Akers, Evans

Late: Scutchfield

The meeting had 12 members present with 3 absent. Scutchfield arrived late to the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The council took two votes on Ordinance 0031-15 during the March 9, 2015 meeting, both related to rezoning properties on North Limestone Street.

Amendment to Ordinance 0031-15 Council member Ford motioned to amend the ordinance to add a condition that the use of the parking lot for Building B shall not connect to the parking lot behind the church. The motion was seconded by Mossotti. The amendment passed on a roll call vote of 10 ayes to 2 nays.

Voting in favor: Ford, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Bledsoe, Brown, and Farmer.

Voting against: Lane and Scutchfield.

Final Vote on Ordinance 0031-15 Following the amendment, Council member Lamb motioned for final passage of the ordinance changing the zone from R-1C to MU-2 for properties on North Limestone Street, with Henson providing the second. The ordinance passed unanimously on a roll call vote of 12 ayes to 0 nays.

All council members voted in favor: Ford, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Lane, Moloney, Mossotti, Scutchfield, Bledsoe, Brown, and Farmer.

The final ordinance includes the condition that the use of the parking lot for Building B shall not connect to the parking lot behind the church, as established by the earlier amendment vote.

Public Comment

Two speakers addressed the board during the public comment period, both expressing opposition to a proposed zone change.

Drew Shackleford spoke against the zone change and delivered a presentation outlining his concerns. In addition to his verbal remarks, Shackleford filed a petition with the board that contained signatures from property owners and residents who also opposed the proposed zoning modification.

David Singleton also spoke in opposition to the zone change. During his presentation, Singleton attempted to show a video exhibit to support his position. However, the video was ruled inadmissible by the board and was not permitted as part of the public comment proceedings.

Both speakers focused their remarks specifically on their objections to the zone change under consideration, though the specific details of their concerns and the nature of the proposed zoning modification were not detailed in the available materials.

*Note: Transcript timestamps were not available for these public comment speakers.*

Contested Items

The primary contested item at the March 9, 2015 meeting was a proposed zone change for North Limestone Street, which faced significant community opposition.

Zone Change for North Limestone Street

The proposed zoning modification for North Limestone Street generated substantial pushback from local residents and community members. Opposition to the zone change was organized and vocal, with community members presenting a petition against the proposal during the meeting. Multiple speakers took the floor to voice their concerns about the zoning modification, indicating widespread neighborhood resistance to the proposed changes.

The nature of the community opposition suggests residents were concerned about how the zone change would impact their neighborhood, though the specific details of their objections and the exact location on North Limestone Street are not specified in the available meeting materials. The presence of both a formal petition and multiple public speakers demonstrates the level of organization and engagement from the affected community.

The outcome of this contested zone change proposal is not indicated in the available meeting documentation, leaving unclear whether the council proceeded with the zoning modification despite community opposition, tabled the matter for further consideration, or rejected the proposal entirely.

This item represents a typical example of local zoning disputes where proposed changes to land use regulations face resistance from established neighborhood residents who may be concerned about impacts on property values, traffic, neighborhood character, or other quality-of-life issues.

Ordinance changing the zone from R-1C to MU-2 for properties on North Limestone

The council considered Ordinance 0031-15, which proposed changing the zoning classification from R-1C (Single Family Residential) to MU-2 (Mixed Use 2) for properties located on North Limestone Street.

Several key speakers participated in the discussion of this zoning change. Steve Kay, Bill Sallee, Tracy Jones, Chris Westover, and Bruce Nicol all contributed to the deliberations regarding the proposed rezoning.

During the meeting, the ordinance underwent amendments to address specific concerns about the development. A significant modification was made to include a condition regarding parking lot connectivity, which appears to have been a point of discussion among council members and stakeholders.

The zoning change from R-1C to MU-2 would allow for mixed-use development on the North Limestone Street properties, transitioning them from single-family residential use to a classification that permits a combination of residential and commercial uses. This type of rezoning typically enables more diverse development options while maintaining residential components.

The council ultimately approved the ordinance with the added parking lot connectivity condition. This approval allows the property owners to proceed with mixed-use development plans that comply with MU-2 zoning requirements and the specific parking connectivity stipulation that was incorporated into the final version of the ordinance.

The successful passage of this zoning change represents a shift in land use policy for this section of North Limestone Street, moving from purely residential zoning to a more flexible mixed-use designation that can accommodate both residential and commercial development within the same area.