Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission met on February 23, 2017, 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 presiding officer. The commission addressed six agenda items during the session, taking six motions and votes throughout the meeting. No public comments were heard during this session.

The commission accomplished mixed results on the agenda items, approving four items while postponing two others for future consideration. The approved items included the meeting minutes, Providence Place Tract 3 Lot 3 Zoning Development Plan, Lexmark International Inc. Zoning Map Amendment, and Lexmark International Corporation Development Plan. Two significant items were postponed: the ATCHISON HELLER CONSTRUCTION, LLC Zoning Map Amendment & Harper Woods Zoning Development Plan, and proposed amendments to Article 8-24 for the Office, Industry and Research Park (P-2) Zone. The meeting focused primarily on zoning and development matters affecting various properties and developments within the urban county jurisdiction.

Attendance

The following members were present at the February 23, 2017 meeting:

• William Wilson
• Mike Cravens
• David Drake
• Karen Mundy
• Mike Owens
• Carolyn Plumlee
• Carolyn Richardson
• Joseph Smith

Three members were absent:

• Will Berkley
• Patrick Brewer
• Frank Penn

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included six formal votes, all of which passed unanimously with all eight members present voting in favor.

Minutes Approval Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve the minutes from January 26, 2017 and corrected minutes of October 13, 2017, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed unanimously 8-0, with William Wilson, Mike Cravens, David Drake, Karen Mundy, Mike Owens, Carolyn Plumlee, Carolyn Richardson, and Joseph Smith all voting in favor.

Postponements Two items were postponed by unanimous vote:

• PLN-MAR-17-00002: Karen Mundy motioned to postpone the ATCHISON HELLER CONSTRUCTION, LLC Zoning Map Amendment & Harper Woods Zoning Development Plan, seconded by Joseph Smith. The postponement passed 8-0.

• ZOTA 2016-7: Mike Cravens motioned to postpone amendments to Article 8-24 for the Office, Industry and Research Park (P-2) Zone, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The postponement passed 8-0.

Approvals Three development-related items were approved:

• PLN-MJDP-16-00056: Mike Cravens motioned to approve the Providence Place, Tract 3, Lot 3 Zoning Development Plan, seconded by Karen Mundy. The approval passed 8-0 with the condition to resolve landscaping needed adjacent to the agricultural use on the northern property line.

• PLN-MAR-16-00012: Karen Mundy motioned to approve the Lexmark International, Inc. Zoning Map Amendment, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed 8-0.

• PLN-MJDP-16-00027: Karen Mundy motioned to approve the Lexmark International Corporation Development Plan, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The approval passed 8-0 with the condition to denote tree protection areas for 20", 32" and 40" existing trees identified on-site that do not conflict with parking areas.

All votes showed complete consensus among the eight voting members present.

Approval of Minutes

The board considered the approval of minutes from two previous meetings during this agenda item. The minutes under review were from the January 26, 2017 meeting and corrected minutes from the October 13, 2017 meeting.

Key speakers during this discussion included Carolyn Plumlee and Carolyn Richardson, who participated in the consideration of the meeting records.

The board reviewed both sets of minutes and found them to be acceptable as presented. No significant concerns or corrections were raised regarding the accuracy or completeness of either the January 26, 2017 minutes or the corrected October 13, 2017 minutes.

Following the review and discussion, both sets of minutes were approved by the board. This approval formally ratifies the official record of proceedings from these previous meetings and ensures the accuracy of the board's historical documentation.

ATCHISON HELLER CONSTRUCTION, LLC Zoning Map Amendment & Harper Woods Zoning Dev

The planning commission considered petition PLN-MAR-17-00002, a zoning map amendment request from Atchison Heller Construction, LLC for the Harper Woods development project. The petition sought to rezone properties located at 2311 Armstrong Mill Road and 3539 Kenesaw Drive from Agricultural Urban (A-U) zone to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone.

Jacob Walbourn served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item. The petition included both the zoning map amendment and an associated zoning development plan for the Harper Woods project.

The commission ultimately decided to postpone consideration of this ordinance rather than taking action during the February 23, 2017 meeting. No specific reasons for the postponement were detailed in the available meeting materials, and no transcript timestamp was provided for this agenda item.

The proposed rezoning would have changed the land use designation from agricultural to residential, potentially allowing for higher-density residential development under the R-3 zoning classification. The postponement suggests the commission may have needed additional time to review the proposal, gather more information, or address concerns that arose during preliminary discussions.

Amendments to Article 8-24 for the Office, Industry and Research Park (P-2) Zone

The council considered petition ZOTA 2016-7, a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment to Article 8-24 that would allow additional uses in the Office, Industry and Research Park (P-2) zone.

Nick Nickolson served as a key speaker for this agenda item, though specific details of his presentation were not captured in the available meeting materials.

The petition sought to expand the permitted uses within the P-2 zoning district, which typically governs office, industrial, and research park developments. However, the specific additional uses being proposed and the rationale behind the amendment were not detailed in the available documentation.

The council ultimately decided to postpone consideration of this zoning text amendment. No timeline was provided for when the item would return to the council's agenda for further discussion and potential action.

The postponement suggests that additional information, public input, or staff analysis may be needed before the council is prepared to make a decision on the proposed changes to the P-2 zone regulations.

Providence Place, Tract 3, Lot 3 Zoning Development Plan

The planning commission reviewed ordinance PLN-MJDP-16-00056 for the Providence Place, Tract 3, Lot 3 Zoning Development Plan during the February 23, 2017 meeting.

Tony Barrett served as a key speaker for this agenda item, presenting details about the proposed development plan for the specified tract and lot within the Providence Place development.

The commission evaluated the zoning development plan proposal, with particular attention paid to landscaping requirements and specifications. During the review process, commissioners discussed various aspects of the development plan to ensure compliance with local zoning regulations and development standards.

Following deliberation, the planning commission approved the Providence Place, Tract 3, Lot 3 Zoning Development Plan. However, the approval came with specific conditions that must be met by the developer. These conditions primarily focused on landscaping requirements that needed to be addressed as part of the development implementation.

The conditional approval indicates that while the overall development plan met the necessary criteria for approval, the commission identified specific landscaping elements that required modification or enhancement to fully comply with municipal standards and community expectations.

This approval allows the development to proceed on the designated tract and lot, provided that the developer satisfies the landscaping conditions outlined by the planning commission during their review process.

Lexmark International, Inc. Zoning Map Amendment

The Planning Commission considered petition PLN-MAR-16-00012, a request from Lexmark International, Inc. for a zoning map amendment affecting properties at 740 W. New Circle Road and 1180 Newtown Pike. The petition sought to rezone these parcels from Light Industrial (I-1) zone to Professional Office (P-1) zone.

Key speakers during the discussion included Rory Kahly and Steve Davis, who presented information regarding the proposed zoning change. The amendment would allow for professional office uses on the properties rather than the current light industrial designation.

The Planning Commission approved the zoning map amendment request. This approval will enable Lexmark International, Inc. to utilize the properties for professional office purposes, which aligns with the P-1 zoning classification that permits various office and professional service uses.

The rezoning affects two specific locations along major thoroughfares in the area - one property on West New Circle Road and another on Newtown Pike. The change from industrial to professional office zoning represents a shift toward office-based land use for these parcels.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Lexmark International Corporation Development Plan

The planning commission reviewed agenda item PLN-MJDP-16-00027, a development plan proposal for Lexmark International Corporation. Rory Kahly served as the key speaker presenting this ordinance to the commission.

The development plan received approval from the commission, though the approval came with specific conditions attached. The conditions focused on two primary areas of concern that emerged during the review process:

• Tree Protection Requirements: The approval included stipulations regarding the preservation and protection of existing trees on the development site. These conditions were designed to maintain environmental standards and preserve the natural character of the area.

• Parking Provisions: The commission also imposed conditions related to parking arrangements for the development. These requirements addressed concerns about adequate parking capacity and proper traffic flow management for the Lexmark facility.

The commission's decision to approve the development plan with conditions reflects a balanced approach to accommodating the corporation's development needs while ensuring compliance with municipal planning standards. The conditional approval allows the Lexmark International Corporation project to move forward while requiring adherence to specific environmental and infrastructure requirements.

The approval of this development plan represents a significant planning decision for the municipality, given Lexmark International Corporation's status as a major technology company. The conditions attached to the approval demonstrate the commission's commitment to responsible development practices that consider both business needs and community standards.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item discussion.*