Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on October 27, 2016, at 1:30 PM in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the LFUCG Government Center at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with William Wilson presiding as the meeting officer. The commission addressed five zoning map amendment applications during the session, taking a total of seven votes throughout the proceedings. The meeting included five public comments from community members regarding the various zoning proposals under consideration.

Of the five zoning map amendments reviewed, three were approved and two were postponed for future consideration. The approved applications included zoning changes requested by Erfan M. Alami (AMD), TaylorMade Real Estate, LLC, and Lexington Home Ownership Comm II, Inc. The commission chose to postpone decisions on the zoning map amendments proposed by CapKy Bluegrass Properties, LLC and Lexmark International, Inc., likely requiring additional review or information before final determinations could be made.

The meeting demonstrated active community engagement with the planning process, as evidenced by the public comments received on the various zoning proposals. The commission's work focused entirely on zoning map amendments, reflecting the ongoing development and land use planning needs within Lexington-Fayette County's urban growth areas.

Attendance

The following members were present at the October 27, 2016 meeting:

• William Wilson
• Will Berkley
• Mike Cravens
• David Drake
• Karen Mundy
• Mike Owens
• Frank Penn
• Carolyn Plumlee
• Carolyn Richardson
• Joseph Smith

Absent: • Patrick Brewer

No members arrived late to the meeting. Ten of eleven members were in attendance.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included seven motions, all of which received unanimous approval from the 10 members present.

MAR-2015-25 2:30: Mike Owens motioned to approve a zone map amendment from Neighborhood Business (B-1) to Agricultural Rural (A-R) for property at 5898 Old Richmond Road, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MAR-16-00002 4:00: Karen Mundy motioned to postpone the CAPKY Bluegrass Properties, LLC zoning map amendment, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The postponement was approved unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MAR-16-00012 6:00: Mike Cravens motioned to postpone the Lexmark International, Inc. zoning map amendment, seconded by Frank Penn. The postponement was approved unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MAR-16-00003 8:00: Mike Owens motioned to approve the zone map amendment for Taylormade Real Estate, LLC, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MJDP-16-00008 10:00: Mike Owens motioned to approve the preliminary development plan for Ethington & Ethington Property, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MAR-16-00010 12:00: Mike Cravens motioned to approve the zone map amendment for Lexington Home Ownership Comm II, Inc., seconded by Karen Mundy. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MJDP-16-00025 14:00: Mike Cravens motioned to approve the preliminary development plan for Bradley Subdivision (Glen Arvin Townhouses), seconded by Karen Mundy. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

All voting members participated in each vote: William Wilson, Will Berkley, Mike Cravens, David Drake, Karen Mundy, Mike Owens, Frank Penn, Carolyn Plumlee, Carolyn Richardson, and Joseph Smith. No members voted against any motion or abstained from voting.

Public Comment

Five residents addressed the meeting during the public comment period, focusing on two main development issues affecting their neighborhoods.

Madrone Way Connection

Three speakers from the Palomar neighborhood expressed concerns about the proposed Madrone Way connection and its potential traffic impacts.

Joe Clabes, Vice Chairman of the Palomar Hills Association Board, spoke about the anticipated traffic effects the Madrone Way connection would have on their residential area 16:00.

Scott Johnson, a Palomar neighborhood resident, offered a specific solution to address cut-through traffic concerns, suggesting that Madrone Way be configured as exit-only to prevent drivers from using it as a shortcut through the neighborhood 18:00.

Prescott Hill, also a Palomar neighborhood resident, voiced opposition to the Madrone Way connection project, citing worries about increased vehicle traffic in the area 20:00.

Glen Arvin Avenue Development

Two residents addressed concerns about a proposed development on Glen Arvin Avenue that would add residential units to their area.

John Dawson, who lives adjacent to the proposed development site, questioned the feasibility of adding 11 new units on Glen Arvin Avenue and expressed concerns about how the additional development would contribute to existing congestion problems 22:00.

Charles Robinson, a Glen Arvin Avenue resident, specifically addressed the appropriateness of the proposed senior housing project, arguing that the area's current congestion issues make it unsuitable for this type of development 24:00.

All public comments focused on traffic and congestion concerns related to proposed developments and infrastructure changes in residential neighborhoods.

Contested Items

Two development-related issues drew significant community opposition during the October 27, 2016 meeting.

Madrone Way Connection

Residents voiced strong concerns about a proposed connection through Madrone Way in their neighborhood. The primary objections centered on anticipated increases in traffic volume and associated safety risks that would result from the connection. Community members expressed worry that opening this connection would create a cut-through route that would fundamentally change the character and safety of their residential area.

Glen Arvin Avenue Development

A proposed development on Glen Arvin Avenue faced substantial pushback from local residents. The opposition focused on two main concerns: the potential for increased traffic congestion in the area and questions about whether the proposed development was appropriate for the specific location. Residents argued that the area was not suitable for the type or scale of development being proposed.

Both contested items reflected broader community concerns about development impacts on residential neighborhoods, particularly regarding traffic safety and neighborhood character. The residents' opposition highlighted ongoing tensions between development pressures and community preservation efforts in these specific areas.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this meeting record.*

ERFAN M. ALAMI (AMD) ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

2:30

The council considered an amended petition for a zoning map amendment from Neighborhood Business (B-1) to Agricultural Rural (A-R) for property located at 5898 Old Richmond Road. The petition was submitted by Erfan M. Alami.

Key speakers during the discussion included Traci Wade and Jake Michul, who presented information regarding the proposed zoning change. The amendment would reclassify the property from its current commercial designation to a more restrictive agricultural rural classification.

The petition represents a downzoning request, moving from a business zone that typically allows commercial activities to an agricultural rural zone with more limited permitted uses. This type of zoning change generally reduces development intensity and aligns the property with agricultural or low-density residential uses.

Following the presentation and discussion, the council approved the zoning map amendment. The approval allows the property at 5898 Old Richmond Road to be rezoned from B-1 Neighborhood Business to A-R Agricultural Rural as requested in the amended petition.

CAPKY BLUEGRASS PROPERTIES, LLC ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

4:00

The commission considered a petition from CAPKY Bluegrass Properties, LLC for a zoning map amendment affecting property located at 353 Waller Avenue. The request sought to rezone the property from Professional Office (P-1) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) zone, along with dimensional variances.

Richard Hopgood served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item.

The petition represents a significant zoning change that would allow for high-rise apartment development on a property currently zoned for professional office use. The requested dimensional variances suggest the proposed development may not fully conform to standard R-5 zone requirements.

Following discussion, the commission decided to postpone action on this zoning map amendment petition. No final decision was reached on either the zone change request or the accompanying dimensional variances.

The postponement allows additional time for review of the proposal and potentially addresses any outstanding issues or concerns that may have been raised during the initial consideration of the petition.

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC. ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

6:00

The council considered a petition for zoning map amendments affecting two Lexmark International, Inc. properties. The proposal sought to rezone property at 740 W. New Circle Road from Light Industrial (I-1) to Professional Office (P-1) zone, and property at 1180 Newtown Pike from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to Professional Office (P-1) zone.

Rory Kahly served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item.

The council ultimately decided to postpone action on this zoning map amendment petition. No additional details about the specific reasons for postponement, concerns raised during discussion, or timeline for future consideration were provided in the available materials.

This ordinance represents Agenda Item 3 and involves the rezoning of two separate Lexmark properties to allow for professional office use rather than their current industrial and agricultural urban designations.

TAYLORMADE REAL ESTATE, LLC ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

8:00

The Urban County Council considered an amended petition for a zone map amendment from TaylorMade Real Estate, LLC for property located at 4145 and 4235 Harrodsburg Road. The proposal sought to rezone the property from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to various residential and business zones.

Key speakers during the discussion included Bill Sallee and Tom Martin, who presented details about the zoning change request. The petition represented an amended version of a previous proposal, indicating modifications had been made to the original development plans.

The property encompasses two parcels on Harrodsburg Road, a significant corridor in the urban county. The requested zoning change would allow for mixed-use development combining residential and business uses, moving away from the current agricultural designation.

Following discussion and consideration of the amended petition, the Urban County Council approved the zoning map amendment. The approval allows TaylorMade Real Estate, LLC to proceed with development plans that align with the newly designated zoning classifications for the Harrodsburg Road properties.

The successful outcome of this agenda item represents a shift in land use for the area, transitioning from agricultural to mixed residential and commercial development potential.

LEXINGTON HOME OWNERSHIP COMM II, INC. ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

12:00

The council considered an amended petition for a zone map amendment from Lexington Home Ownership Comm II, Inc. requesting to rezone property located at 366 and 370 Glen Arvin Avenue from Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) to High Density Apartment (R-4) zone.

Key speakers during the discussion included Traci Wade and Tom Martin, who presented information regarding the zoning change request. The petition represented an amended version of a previous proposal for the same properties.

The rezoning would allow for higher density residential development on the Glen Arvin Avenue properties, transitioning from the current planned neighborhood residential designation to accommodate apartment-style housing. This type of zoning change typically enables more units per acre and different building configurations than the existing R-3 classification.

Following discussion of the amended petition, the council approved the zoning map amendment. The approval allows Lexington Home Ownership Comm II, Inc. to proceed with development plans under the new High Density Apartment zoning classification for the properties at 366 and 370 Glen Arvin Avenue.