Planning Commission Subdivision Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on July 13, 2017, at 1:33 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Government Building at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with Bill Wilson presiding as the presiding officer. The meeting focused primarily on organizational matters and one appeal case, addressing four main agenda items that included the introduction of new commission members, election of officers, delegation of secretary duties, and consideration of the Michael and Karen Sheetz appeal (BOAR 2017-1).

The commission conducted 16 motions and votes throughout the session, with three of the four agenda items receiving approval. No public comments were heard during this meeting. The session accomplished key administrative functions necessary for the commission's operations, including establishing leadership roles and addressing procedural matters, while also resolving the pending Sheetz appeal case.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 13, 2017 meeting:

Present: • Bill Wilson • Mike Owens • Karen Mundy • Carolyn Plumlee • Frank Penn • Mike Cravens • Headley Bell

Absent: • Will Berkley • Patrick Brewer • Larry Forester • Carolyn Richardson

No members arrived late to the meeting. Seven members were in attendance, with four members absent.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took action on 16 items during the July 13, 2017 meeting, with all seven commissioners present: Bill Wilson, Mike Owens, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, Frank Penn, Mike Cravens, and Headley Bell.

Postponements

Six items were unanimously postponed [timestamp: 02:00-12:00]: • PLN-MJDP-17-00061: THE PENINSULA & SQUIRES APARTMENTS (AMD) postponed to August 10th (motion by Mike Cravens, second by Frank Penn) • PLN-MJDP-17-00054: MANCHESTER DEVELOPMENT, LLC (DISTILLERY DISTRICT EAST, UNIT 1) (AMD) postponed to July 27th (motion by Carolyn Plumlee, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJSUB-17-00026: RML-CITATION (HILLENMEYER INTEREST, LTD.) postponed to July 27th (motion by Frank Penn, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJDP-17-00042: RML-CITATION (HILLENMEYER INTEREST, LTD.) postponed to July 27th (motion by Frank Penn, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJDP-17-00060: SUNNY SLOPE FARM, UNIT 1-A postponed to August 10th (motion by Carolyn Plumlee, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJDP-17-00058: HENRY CLAY SUBDIVISION (DOLLY LAND CO, LLC) (ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT) postponed to August 10th (motion by Carolyn Plumlee, second by Karen Mundy)

Approvals

The Commission unanimously approved [timestamp: 14:00-32:00]: • Consent agenda (motion by Mike Owens, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJSUB-17-041: Lexington Clinic PSC, Lot 1 with 11 conditions and waiver (motion by Mike Owens, second by Karen Mundy) • PLN-MJSUB-16-10: Grasmere, Unit 6 with 9 conditions (motion by Frank Penn, second by Carolyn Plumlee) • PLN-MJDP-17-62: Wyndale Subdivision, Lot 2B with 15 conditions and waiver (motion by Frank Penn, second by Carolyn Plumlee) • One-year extension for DP 2016-63: Mapleleaf Subdivision (motion by Mike Owens, second by Karen Mundy) • BOAR 2017-1: Michael and Karen Sheetz appeal to modify Condition (2) to allow new 6/6 windows (motion by Mike Cravens, second by Frank Penn)

Two items passed by roll call vote 6-1, with Mike Cravens voting against: • PLN-MJDP-17-68: Providence Place & Interstate Service Center, Unit 6 reapproval with 13 conditions 26:00 • PLN-MJDP-17-83: J.T.C. Property, Tract 2, Lots 1-A (AMD) and 1-B reapproval 28:00

Appointments

The meeting included several reappointments to key leadership positions. Four individuals were reappointed to their respective roles:

• William Wilson was reappointed as Chairperson
• Frank Penn was reappointed as Vice Chairperson
• Carolyn Plumlee was reappointed as Secretary
• Karen Mundy was reappointed as Parliamentarian

All four appointments involved reappointments of existing officeholders to continue serving in their current leadership capacities.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among board members.

BOAR 2017-1: Michael and Karen Sheetz Appeal

The primary point of contention involved an appeal by Michael and Karen Sheetz to modify a Certificate of Appropriateness Condition. The Sheetzes sought permission to install new 6/6 windows as part of their property modifications.

The disagreement centered on the appropriateness of the proposed window style within the historic district context. Board members engaged in discussions about whether the 6/6 window configuration would be suitable for the historic character of the area and whether it met the standards required for properties within the district.

The appeal represented a typical challenge faced by historic preservation boards when balancing property owners' desires for specific architectural features against the need to maintain historical integrity and consistency within designated historic districts. The split vote indicates that board members held differing views on how strictly historic district guidelines should be interpreted in this particular case.

The contested nature of this item demonstrates the ongoing tension between individual property rights and community historic preservation goals that frequently arise in Board of Architectural Review proceedings.

Introduction of New Planning Commission Members

0:30

Mr. Bill Wilson announced the appointment of two new members to the Planning Commission: Mr. Headley Bell and Mr. Larry Forester.

Mr. Headley Bell introduced himself to the commission and shared details about his background and qualifications for the position. The introduction provided an opportunity for the new member to present his experience and perspective to fellow commissioners and the public.

Mr. Larry Forester was also announced as a new appointee, though the available record does not include details of his introduction during this portion of the meeting.

This was an informational presentation to formally welcome the new members and allow them to introduce themselves to the Planning Commission and meeting attendees.

Election of Officers

34:00

The Commission conducted its election of officers for the new term during this agenda item. The process resulted in the re-election of the existing leadership structure.

Officers Elected: • Chairperson: William Wilson (re-elected) • Vice Chairperson: Frank Penn • Secretary: Carolyn Plumlee • Parliamentarian: Karen Mundy

Bill Wilson served as a key speaker during this portion of the meeting, likely facilitating the election process or accepting his re-election as Chairperson.

The election of officers was approved, maintaining continuity in the Commission's leadership structure with Wilson continuing in his role as Chairperson for another term.

Delegation of Secretary's Duties

36:00

The Commission considered a resolution to delegate the Secretary's duties to the Director of the Division of Planning and his staff. Bill Wilson served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The proposed delegation would transfer most of the Secretary's responsibilities to the Planning Division Director and staff, with one notable exception: the authority to sign meeting minutes would remain with the Secretary. This arrangement would allow the Planning Division to handle the administrative functions typically performed by the Secretary while maintaining the Secretary's role in formally authenticating meeting records.

The Commission approved the delegation of duties as presented. This administrative change appears designed to streamline operations by leveraging the Planning Division's existing staff capacity to support the Commission's secretarial functions while preserving the Secretary's essential role in certifying official meeting documentation.

BOAR 2017-1: Michael and Karen Sheetz Appeal

38:00

The Planning Commission considered an appeal from Michael and Karen Sheetz regarding a Certificate of Appropriateness condition. The appeal sought to modify an existing condition to allow the installation of new 6/6 windows on their property.

Betty Kerr and Ken Par served as key speakers during the discussion of this appeal. The commissioners reviewed the specifics of the original Certificate of Appropriateness and the requested modification to permit the use of 6/6 window configurations.

The Planning Commission approved the Sheetz appeal, granting permission for the installation of 6/6 windows as requested. This decision modified the original Certificate of Appropriateness condition to accommodate the appellants' window specifications.