Urban County Council - Zone Change Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on May 24, 2016, at 6:03 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting addressed one primary agenda item involving a Zone Change Ordinance, which was ultimately approved by the council. During the session, council members took one recorded vote and heard from two members of the public who provided comments on matters before the body. The meeting focused specifically on zoning matters affecting the urban county, with the successful passage of the zone change ordinance representing the main accomplishment of the evening's proceedings.

Attendance

The following council members were present at the May 24, 2016 meeting:

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

Four council members were absent:

• Stinnett
• Evans
• Farmer
• Henson

Council member Mossotti arrived late to the meeting but was present for the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted one formal vote during this meeting.

Ordinance 0408-16 7:38 The council voted on an ordinance changing the zoning from various zones to Planned Neighborhood Residential and Highway Service Business zones for property located at 2731 and 2751 Leestown Road. Ms. Akers made the motion, which was seconded by Mr. Hensley.

The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 11 ayes and 0 nays. All council members present voted in favor: - Scutchfield - Akers - Bledsoe - F. Brown - J. Brown - Gibbs - Hensley - Kay - Lamb - Moloney - Mossotti

The approval was granted subject to conditions, specifically requiring the approval and certification of ZDP 2016-22 and adherence to conditional zoning restrictions.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the board during the public comment period regarding concerns about a proposed development and zone change.

Matthew Jacobs spoke in opposition to the zone change, expressing concern about the potential impact on natural habitat and the creek located behind his house. Jacobs indicated that the proposed development could negatively affect the local ecosystem and waterway.

Jeffrey Swain addressed stormwater management issues, raising concerns about increased stormwater runoff and potential flooding that could result from the proposed development. Swain's comments focused on the infrastructure and environmental implications of additional development in the area.

Both speakers' comments centered on environmental and infrastructure concerns related to the same proposed development project, highlighting community opposition based on potential impacts to local natural resources and flood management systems.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available for these public comments.*

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that drew community opposition and discussion.

Zone Change for Leestown Road Property

Community members raised significant concerns regarding a proposed zone change for a property on Leestown Road. The primary opposition centered on environmental impact issues and stormwater management concerns related to the development that would result from the zoning modification.

Residents who spoke against the proposal expressed worries about how the zone change would affect local environmental conditions and whether adequate stormwater management systems would be implemented to handle increased runoff from development. The community opposition highlighted concerns about the potential environmental consequences of allowing different land uses on the property.

The nature of the disagreement involved community members advocating for environmental protection and proper stormwater infrastructure against what they perceived as insufficient consideration of these factors in the proposed zone change. The discussion reflected broader community concerns about balancing development interests with environmental stewardship and infrastructure capacity.

*Note: The extracted data does not include specific details about the final outcome of this contested item, the exact number of speakers, or transcript timestamps for this discussion.*

Zone Change Ordinance

The council considered Ordinance 0408-16, which proposed changing the zoning classification for properties located at 2731 and 2751 Leestown Road. The ordinance sought to rezone the land from its current designations of Agricultural-Urban and Single Family Residential to Planned Neighborhood Residential and Highway Service Business.

Key speakers during the discussion included Bill Sallee, Richard Murphy, and Dennis Anderson, though specific transcript timestamps were not available for this agenda item.

The proposed zoning change would allow for different types of development on the Leestown Road properties, transitioning from primarily agricultural and single-family residential uses to a mixed-use approach that combines planned residential neighborhoods with highway-oriented commercial services.

The council ultimately approved the zone change ordinance, indicating support for the proposed redevelopment of the properties along this corridor. The approval suggests the council found the zoning change consistent with the area's development plans and appropriate for the location along Leestown Road.

This type of zoning modification typically reflects evolving land use patterns and development pressures, particularly along major transportation corridors where there may be demand for both residential and commercial uses that serve highway traffic.