Planning Commission Public Hearing to Consider Armstrong Mill West & Cardinal Valley Small Area Plans

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission held a meeting on April 30, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 2nd Floor of the LFUCG Government Center, located at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. Mike Owens presided over the meeting.

The Commission addressed four agenda items, all of which were approved. These included approval of the previous meeting's minutes, consideration of the Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan, consideration of the Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan, and consideration of PFR 2015-3 regarding an LFUCG Department of Public Safety Communications Tower. The Commission took four motions and votes during the meeting and heard nine public comments.

Attendance

Present: - Mike Owens - William Berkley - Patrick Brewer - Mike Cravens - Carolyn Plumlee - Karen Mundy - Bill Wilson - Carolyn Richardson - Frank Penn

Absent: - David Drake

Late: - None

Votes and Decisions

Approval of Minutes 1:47 The body approved the minutes from the March 12, 2015 and April 9, 2015 meetings. Karen Mundy moved for approval and Mike Cravens seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote with no dissenting votes. All nine members voted in favor: Mike Owens, William Berkley, Patrick Brewer, Mike Cravens, Carolyn Plumlee, Karen Mundy, Bill Wilson, Carolyn Richardson, and Frank Penn.

Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan 1:00:21 The body adopted the Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan as an amendment to the 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Karen Mundy moved for adoption and Carolyn Plumlee seconded. The motion passed by voice vote with all nine members voting in favor. The adoption included a minor modification to remove a statement about underutilized parking on page 93 of the plan.

Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan 2:00:18 The body adopted the Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan as an amendment to the 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Carolyn Plumlee moved for adoption and Carolyn Richardson seconded. The motion passed by voice vote with all nine members voting in favor: Mike Owens, William Berkley, Patrick Brewer, Mike Cravens, Carolyn Plumlee, Karen Mundy, Bill Wilson, Carolyn Richardson, and Frank Penn.

PFR 2015-3 Microwave Communications Tower Compliance 2:10:38 The body adopted the recommendation that PFR 2015-3, concerning a microwave communications tower at the Public Safety Operations Center, complies with the Comprehensive Plan. William Berkley moved for adoption. The motion passed by voice vote with all nine members voting in favor. The approval included a condition recommending additional screening along the eastern property line and side of the tower location.

Public Comment

Nine speakers addressed the meeting on April 30, 2015, offering perspectives on various aspects of the proposed plan.

Infrastructure and Facilities

Carol Riker [00:42:44] expressed concern about the long-term maintenance of community gardens and landscaping, noting that previous efforts were abandoned due to lack of caretakers. Mary Ann Olson [01:37:14] advocated for the construction of a full-sized library at Oxford Circle, stating the current branch is overused and inadequate. Jan Hellebusch [01:46:20] stressed the need for a new library and safer pedestrian access, noting high foot traffic and accidents in the area.

Specific Plan Recommendations

Bruce Simpson [00:45:03] requested deletion of language recommending a farmer's market and referencing underutilized parking at Park Hills Center due to zoning and parking constraints.

Support for the Plan

Councilmember Fred Brown [00:50:03] lent strong support for the plan, emphasizing the area's need for improvements and expressing intent to pursue projects if the plan is adopted. Karen Mundy [00:52:52] shared her experience as a participant in the process, praising the community engagement and thanking staff and consultants. Paula Singer [01:38:56] supported the green space components and library idea but urged the Commission to proceed with care, noting the plan only scratches the surface. Malcolm Ratchford [01:42:27] expressed support for the feasibility study and the potential for a community center, noting the importance of the location for social services. Councilmember Peggy Henson [01:49:01] reiterated support for the plan and emphasized the need for the feasibility study to reflect the needs of underserved community members.

Contested Items

Farmer's Market at Park Hills Center

A significant disagreement emerged regarding the inclusion of a farmer's market at Park Hills Center in planning documents. Staff members and consultants advocated for retaining language that would support the concept, arguing that keeping it in the plan would preserve future options and flexibility for the site. They believed maintaining this language was important for long-term planning purposes.

Park Hills Center management opposed this position, contending that a farmer's market at the location was not feasible. They cited specific constraints as their reasoning: zoning restrictions and parking limitations would prevent the farmer's market from operating successfully at that site.

The nature of this dispute centered on community opposition and the practical viability of the proposed use. The disagreement reflected a tension between preserving conceptual possibilities in planning documents versus acknowledging real-world operational constraints that management believed made the proposal unworkable.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the March 12, 2015 and April 9, 2015 meetings were presented for approval. 1:47

Key speakers on this agenda item included Karen Mundy and Mike Cravens.

The minutes were approved by voice vote without opposition.

Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan

2:28

Staff and consultants presented the Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan to the council. The presentation included an overview of the public input process, key issues identified in the planning area, and staff recommendations.

Presentation and Discussion

The plan was presented by Jim Duncan, Janice Westlund, Ed Holmes, Rachel Phillips, and Bruce Simpson. The presentation covered the community engagement process used to develop the plan and outlined the primary issues and recommendations for the Armstrong Mill-West area.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, concerns were raised regarding two specific elements of the plan:

• Community gardens in the area
• Parking availability at Park Hills Center

Council Action

Following discussion, the council voted to adopt the Armstrong Mill-West Small Area Plan with one modification. A statement regarding underutilized parking was deleted from the final plan. Councilmember Fred Brown participated in the discussion and voting on this item.

The motion to adopt the plan with the deletion passed, resulting in approval of the plan.

Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan

Staff and consultants presented the Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan to the council, focusing on community engagement and neighborhood development priorities 1:07:06.

Presentation and Key Focus Areas

The presentation, led by speakers including Chris Taylor and Stan Harvey, highlighted several core components of the plan:

• Neighborhood conservation strategies
• Commercial district development
• Versailles Road improvements
• A proposed community center at Oxford Circle

Public Engagement

The presentation addressed public outreach efforts and community engagement challenges encountered during the planning process. Multiple speakers contributed to the discussion, including Mary Ann Olson, Paula Singer, Malcolm Ratchford, and Jan Hellebusch.

Public Comments

Community members who provided input expressed support for certain elements while raising concerns about others:

• Strong support for library and green space initiatives
• Requests for caution regarding plan implementation and development impacts

Council Action

Councilmember Peggy Henson participated in the discussion. Following the presentation and public comment period, the council voted to approve the Cardinal Valley Small Area Plan.

PFR 2015-3: LFUCG Department of Public Safety Communications Tower

2:03:38

Staff presented a Public Facility Review for a 150-foot microwave communications tower proposed at the Public Safety Operations Center. The project was evaluated for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.

Key Speakers

The presentation involved Barbara Rackers, Mr. Stack, and Mr. Rick Curtis.

Presentation and Findings

The staff review determined that the communications tower project was consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. In addition to approval, staff recommended that additional screening be incorporated into the project design.

Outcome

A motion to approve compliance with the Comprehensive Plan passed unanimously.