Urban County Council - Zone Change Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on March 7, 2017, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting focused on a single agenda item involving a zone change ordinance. During the session, the council heard 5 public comments and took 1 vote on the matter before them. The meeting resulted in the approval of Ordinance 0088-17 Zone Change, completing the primary business on the agenda.

Attendance

Present: Kay, Henson, Higgins, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Scutchfield, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown

Absent: Mossotti, Stinnett, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs

Late: None

Ten members were present for the March 7, 2017 meeting, with five members absent. No members arrived late to the session.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted one recorded vote during this meeting.

Ordinance 0088-17 7:04 The council voted on an ordinance to change the zoning classification from Light Industrial (I-1) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) for properties located on Blackburn Avenue. Ms. Lamb made the motion, which was seconded by Ms. Bledsoe.

The measure passed unanimously by roll call vote with 10 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions. Council members voting in favor were: Henson, Higgins, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Scutchfield, Bledsoe, F. Brown, and J. Brown. No council members voted against the ordinance or abstained from voting.

Public Comment

Five residents spoke during the public comment period, all expressing opposition to a proposed zone change and development project.

Cindy Bowling 1:30 raised concerns about parking, safety issues, and the potential impact on community investment from the proposed development.

Zachary Johnson 1:45 opposed the development, citing concerns about increased traffic congestion, inadequate parking provisions, and the overall scale of the proposed project being inappropriate for the area.

Greg Bill 2:00 focused his comments on the potential negative effects of market rate housing on the existing neighborhood character and expressed concerns that the development could lead to rent increases for current residents.

Barbara Grossman 2:30 addressed multiple issues including parking shortages, traffic impacts, and the scale of the development. She also questioned the developer's reputation and track record.

Faith Harders 3:00 discussed the Fourth Street Plan and the community's need for medium density development. However, she emphasized concerns about Blackburn Avenue being too narrow to accommodate the proposed project's impact.

All speakers opposed the zone change, with common themes including traffic and parking concerns, questions about the development's scale and appropriateness for the neighborhood, and potential negative impacts on existing residents. The comments reflected broader community concerns about development pressure and maintaining neighborhood character.

Contested Items

The primary contested item at the March 7, 2017 meeting involved a proposed zone change from Light Industrial to High Rise Apartment designation. The proposal faced significant community opposition from local residents who raised multiple concerns about the potential development.

Residents who spoke against the zone change expressed specific objections regarding the anticipated impact on neighborhood infrastructure and quality of life. Their primary concerns centered on increased traffic congestion that would result from a high-density residential development in an area previously zoned for light industrial use. Community members also cited parking issues as a major concern, arguing that the proposed high-rise apartment complex would create insufficient parking availability for both new residents and existing neighborhood users.

Additionally, opponents raised concerns about the scale and character of the proposed development, arguing that a high-rise apartment building would be incompatible with the existing neighborhood context and would represent an inappropriate transition from the area's industrial zoning designation.

The community opposition appeared to be organized, with multiple residents participating in the public comment portion of the meeting to voice their objections to the zone change proposal. The residents' concerns focused on practical infrastructure impacts rather than broader policy disagreements, suggesting a neighborhood-level mobilization against the specific development proposal.

The extracted data does not indicate the final outcome of this contested zone change proposal or whether the governing body took action on the item during this particular meeting session.

Ordinance 0088-17 Zone Change

0:10

The council considered Ordinance 0088-17, which proposed changing the zoning classification from Light Industrial (I-1) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) for properties located on Blackburn Avenue. The development plan calls for 72 residential units with accompanying parking provisions.

Several key speakers participated in the discussion of this zoning change request:

• William Sallee presented details regarding the proposed development
• Jacob Walbourn contributed to the technical discussion
• Cindy Bowling provided input on the zoning considerations
• Zachary Johnson participated in the deliberations
• Barbara Grossman offered commentary on the proposal

The ordinance represents a significant shift from industrial use to high-density residential development in the affected area. The proposed R-5 High Rise Apartment zoning would accommodate the planned 72-unit residential complex, marking a transition from the current Light Industrial designation that previously governed land use in this section of Blackburn Avenue.

The discussion included consideration of the parking provisions that would accompany the residential development, ensuring adequate vehicle accommodation for the proposed unit count. Council members and speakers addressed various aspects of the zoning change, including its compatibility with surrounding land uses and the appropriateness of the high-density residential classification for the location.

Following the presentations and discussion among the participants, the council voted to approve Ordinance 0088-17. This approval authorizes the zoning change from I-1 to R-5, clearing the way for the proposed 72-unit residential development on Blackburn Avenue to proceed under the new High Rise Apartment zoning classification.