Urban County Council - Zone Change Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on May 19, 2016, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers located at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting addressed one primary agenda item involving a zone change request from MU-2 to B-1, which was ultimately approved by the council. During the proceedings, the council took one official vote and heard from three members of the public who provided comments on matters before the body. The meeting focused on zoning matters affecting the community, with the successful approval of the zone change representing the main accomplishment of the session.

Attendance

Present: Vice-Mayor Kay, Akers, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Gibbs, Henson, Lamb, Moloney, and Farmer

Absent: Mossotti, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Evans, and Hensley

Late: Farmer

Ten members were present for the meeting, with five members absent. Farmer arrived late to the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted one roll call vote during the meeting on Ordinance 0340-16.

Ordinance 0340-16 - An Ordinance changing the zone from a Mixed-Use 2: Neighborhood Corridor (MU-2) zone to a Neighborhood Business (B-1) zone for property located at 1501, 1505, 1507 and 1509 Versailles Road 7:55.

Councilmember Farmer made the motion, which was seconded by Councilmember Akers. The ordinance passed by a vote of 6 ayes to 4 nays, with no abstentions.

Voting in favor (6): - Akers - Bledsoe - F. Brown - J. Brown - Farmer - Kay

Voting against (4): - Gibbs - Henson - Lamb - Moloney

The ordinance was amended to include tattoo parlors as a prohibited use before the final vote was taken.

Public Comment

Three residents spoke during the public comment period, all expressing opposition to a proposed zone change.

Ms. Lane Boldman 1:30 addressed the meeting on behalf of her homeowners' association, voicing opposition to the zone change under consideration. Ms. Boldman filed emails and petitions as part of her testimony, representing the collective concerns of her neighborhood association.

Ms. Paula Singer 1:45 spoke against the proposed plan, raising two primary concerns: pedestrian safety issues and the need for affordable housing in the area. Ms. Singer submitted several exhibits to support her opposition to the zone change proposal.

Ms. Laura Stone-Bell 2:00 also expressed concerns about the potential impact the zone change would have on the surrounding neighborhood, adding her voice to the opposition.

All three speakers focused their comments on the same zone change proposal, presenting a unified front of neighborhood opposition. The speakers submitted various supporting materials including emails, petitions, and exhibits to document their concerns for the official record.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one primary contested item that generated significant community debate.

Zone Change from MU-2 to B-1

The proposed zone change from Mixed Use-2 (MU-2) to Business-1 (B-1) classification drew substantial opposition from community members during the public comment period. The controversy centered on two main concerns raised by residents and community advocates.

The primary objection focused on the potential loss of affordable housing opportunities. Community members argued that changing the zoning from mixed-use, which typically allows for residential development alongside commercial uses, to a business-only classification would eliminate future affordable housing options in the area. Several speakers expressed concern that this change would contribute to the ongoing affordability crisis in the community.

Traffic impact constituted the second major area of opposition. Residents voiced concerns that rezoning the property for business use would generate increased vehicle traffic in the surrounding neighborhood, potentially affecting safety and quality of life for existing residents.

Multiple community members spoke against the proposal during the public comment portion of the meeting, though specific names and the exact number of speakers were not clearly documented in the available materials. The opposition appeared to be organized, with speakers presenting coordinated arguments about both the housing and traffic implications.

The outcome of this contested item was not specified in the available meeting documentation, leaving unclear whether the zone change was approved, denied, or tabled for further consideration. The significant community opposition suggests this item likely required extended discussion among council members, though the final disposition and any conditions or modifications to the original proposal remain undocumented in the source materials provided.

Zone Change from MU-2 to B-1

6:19

The council considered Ordinance 0340-16, a zoning change for 0.964 net acres at 1501, 1505, 1507, and 1509 Versailles Road from Mixed-Use 2 (MU-2) to Neighborhood Business (B-1).

Key speakers during the discussion included Traci Wade, Jihad Hallany, Lane Boldman, and Paula Singer. The proposal involved rezoning the properties to allow for neighborhood business uses while including specific conditions to address community concerns.

One notable condition included in the zoning change was the prohibition of tattoo parlors on the properties. This restriction was incorporated as part of the rezoning conditions to ensure the development would be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood character.

The ordinance was approved by the council, allowing the properties to transition from the mixed-use designation to neighborhood business zoning with the specified conditions in place.