Urban County Council - Zone Change Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on May 10, 2016, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting focused on a single agenda item regarding a Zone Change Ordinance, which was approved by the council. During the session, one motion was voted on and no public comments were heard. The meeting appears to have been a focused session dedicated primarily to addressing the zoning matter before the council.

Attendance

The following members were present at the May 10, 2016 meeting:

• Kay
• Lamb
• Moloney
• Scutchfield
• Stinnett
• Akers
• Bledsoe
• F. Brown
• J. Brown
• Evans
• Gibbs
• Hensley
• Mossotti (arrived late)

Absent: • Farmer • Henson

Late Arrival: • Mossotti

A total of 13 members were present for the meeting, with 2 members absent. One member arrived late to the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included one recorded vote on a zoning ordinance.

Ordinance 0341-16 addressed zoning changes for properties at 3600 Palomar Centre Drive and 2101 Palomar Trace Drive. The ordinance proposed changing 0.95 net acres (1.25 gross acres) from Professional Office (P-1) zone to Neighborhood Business (B-1) zone, and changing 0.25 net acres (0.29 gross acres) from Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to Professional Office (P-1) zone. The ordinance also included a dimensional variance.

Council member Akers made the motion, which was seconded by Council member Bledsoe. The ordinance passed unanimously on a roll call vote with 13 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

The following council members voted in favor: • Lamb • Moloney • Mossotti • Scutchfield • Stinnett • Akers • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Evans • Gibbs • Hensley • Kay

The approval included a condition requiring "Approval and certification of ZDP 2016-6 prior to forwarding a recommendation to the Urban County Council."

Zone Change Ordinance

The council considered Ordinance 0341-16, which proposed multiple zoning changes for specified properties in the city. The ordinance included changing zoning from Professional Office (P-1) to Neighborhood Business (B-1) for certain parcels, as well as rezoning other properties from Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) to Professional Office (P-1). The proposal also incorporated a dimensional variance as part of the zoning modifications.

Key speakers during the discussion included Richard Murphy and Bruce Simpson Jr., who presented details about the proposed zoning changes and their implications for the affected properties. The speakers addressed the rationale behind the dual zoning modifications and explained how the changes would impact land use in the designated areas.

The ordinance represented a comprehensive approach to zoning adjustments, addressing both commercial and residential zoning classifications. The change from Professional Office to Neighborhood Business zoning would allow for different types of commercial activities, while the conversion from Planned Neighborhood Residential to Professional Office zoning would shift certain residential areas to accommodate professional services.

The dimensional variance component of the ordinance provided flexibility for property development within the newly designated zones, allowing for modifications to standard zoning requirements such as setbacks, building heights, or lot coverage ratios.

Following discussion of the proposal's merits and consideration of the zoning changes' potential impacts on the surrounding community, the council voted to approve Ordinance 0341-16. The approval enables the implementation of the specified zoning changes and the associated dimensional variance, allowing property owners in the affected areas to proceed with development plans consistent with their new zoning classifications.