Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on January 24, 2019, 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 Bill Wilson presiding as the meeting chair. The commission addressed four main agenda categories covering land subdivision items, zoning items, commission items, and staff items, all of which were informational in nature. During the session, the commission conducted 9 motions and votes on various planning matters before them. The meeting also included input from the public, with 3 public comments heard during the proceedings, allowing community members to provide feedback on planning issues affecting the urban county area.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 24, 2019 meeting:

• Bill Wilson
• Will Berkley
• Larry Forester
• Karen Mundy
• Bruce Nicol
• Mike Owens
• Carolyn Plumlee
• Graham Pohl

Three members were absent:

• Headley Bell
• Patrick Brewer
• Frank Penn

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The commission took action on nine items during the January 24, 2019 meeting, with all eight members present and voting.

Minutes Approval 0:30 Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve minutes from the November 29, 2018 and December 13, 2018 meetings, seconded by Karen Mundy. The motion passed unanimously 8-0.

Postponements [timestamp: 03:00, 06:00] Two items were postponed to February 28, 2019. Karen Mundy motioned to postpone PLN-MAR-18-00023 (LATA, LLC Zoning Map Amendment & Bryan Property, Lot 2 Development Plan), seconded by Mike Owens. Mike Owens then motioned to postpone ZOTA 2018-5 (Amendment to Update Article 15-4(b) for Multi-Family Front Yard Fence Heights), seconded by Larry Forester. Both postponements passed unanimously 8-0.

Development Plan Approvals [timestamp: 10:00, 25:00, 60:00] Three development plans received unanimous approval. PLN-MJDP-18-00081 (Leestown Industrial Park, Unit 3) was approved with conditions 14, 15, and 16 changed to "Resolve." PLN-MJDP-18-00084 (Rollie Bishop Carroll, Sr. Property) was approved with conditions 8 and 9 changed to "Resolve." PLN-19-5 (Fayette Mall Lots 1 and 1A Minor Subdivision Plan) was approved with three staff-recommended conditions.

Zoning Map Amendments [timestamp: 20:00, 40:00] PLN-MAR-18-00021 (JLG Land Co. Zoning Map Amendment) passed unanimously 8-0. PLN-MAR-18-00028 (IVCP Athens, LLC Zoning Map Amendment) required a roll call vote, passing 5-2 with prohibited uses modified to exclude mobile homes. Voting in favor: Bill Wilson, Will Berkley, Karen Mundy, Bruce Nicol, and Mike Owens. Voting against: Larry Forester and Carolyn Plumlee.

Related Development Plan 50:00 PLN-MJDP-18-00102 (JFG Enterprises, Inc./IVCP Athens, LLC Development Plan) also required a roll call vote, passing 5-2 with the same voting alignment. The approval included three additional conditions proposed by adjoining property owners.

Public Comment

Three residents addressed the board during the public comment period, with all comments focused on a proposed zoning change and its potential impacts on the local neighborhood.

Gail Whitener 30:00 spoke regarding concerns from the Hill N Dale neighborhood. While she expressed agreement with the developer's proposal, Whitener requested that the neighborhood be included in the development of the final plan to ensure community input is incorporated.

Jessica Bartly 35:00 voiced opposition to the zoning change under consideration. Bartly cited safety concerns as a primary issue and warned that the proposed change could lead to increased traffic that would negatively affect the surrounding neighborhood.

Crispin Gabriel 37:00 also spoke in opposition to the zoning change. Gabriel echoed concerns about increased traffic resulting from the proposed development and expressed worry that the change would lead to a decreased quality of life for area residents.

The public comments revealed a mixed response to the zoning proposal, with one speaker supporting the developer's approach while requesting community involvement, and two speakers raising concerns about traffic impacts and neighborhood safety. All three speakers represented neighborhood perspectives on how the proposed zoning change might affect their community.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contentious item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

IVCP Athens, LLC Zoning Map Amendment

The proposed zoning map amendment for IVCP Athens, LLC generated significant debate and controversy during the meeting. The disagreement centered on concerns about prohibited uses associated with the zoning change and the potential impact on what was described as the gateway to Lexington.

Council members were divided on the issue, with some expressing reservations about allowing certain uses that would be permitted under the proposed zoning classification. The debate focused particularly on how the development would affect the visual and functional character of an important entrance corridor to the city.

The contentious nature of the item was evident in the final vote, which resulted in a split decision among the council members rather than the unanimous or near-unanimous approval typical of less controversial matters. The specific vote tally and individual council member positions were not detailed in the available information.

The concerns raised during the discussion highlighted the ongoing tension between development interests and community character preservation, particularly in areas considered significant to the city's identity and first impressions for visitors and residents.

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

Land Subdivision Items

10:00

The meeting addressed various land subdivision matters under agenda item IV. Tom Martin served as the primary speaker for this discussion segment.

The discussion covered multiple subdivision projects, with specific attention given to two key properties:

• Leestown Industrial Park - Details regarding this industrial development were presented and discussed by the participants.

• Rollie Bishop Carroll, Sr. Property - This property subdivision was also reviewed as part of the land subdivision items.

Tom Martin led the presentation of these subdivision matters, providing information and updates on the status of these development projects. The discussion appeared to focus on the procedural and administrative aspects of these land subdivisions.

The agenda item was classified as informational in nature, indicating that the discussion served to update meeting participants on the current status of these subdivision projects rather than requiring formal action or approval. No specific concerns or objections were noted during this portion of the meeting.

The land subdivision discussion provided a forum for reviewing ongoing development activities within the jurisdiction, allowing officials to stay informed about property development progress and any related administrative requirements.

Zoning Items

20:00 The commission discussed zoning map amendments and zoning ordinance text amendments during this agenda item. Hal Baillie served as the key speaker for this discussion.

The zoning items under consideration included matters related to JLG Land Co. and IVCP Athens, LLC. The discussion covered both zoning map amendments, which would change the zoning designation of specific properties, and zoning ordinance text amendments, which would modify the language and requirements within the zoning code itself.

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken by the commission. The discussion provided an opportunity for commissioners to review and discuss the proposed zoning changes before any future voting or decision-making processes.

The specific details of the proposed amendments for JLG Land Co. and IVCP Athens, LLC were not elaborated upon in the available materials, though these entities appear to be the primary focus of the zoning considerations under review.

Commission Items

Chair Bill Wilson announced that this portion of the meeting was reserved for any items that Commission members would like to present for discussion 70:00.

No Commission members brought forward any items for consideration during this segment of the meeting. The Chair's announcement served as an open invitation for commissioners to raise topics, concerns, or proposals that were not already included on the formal agenda.

This agenda item represents a standard practice allowing Commission members the opportunity to introduce new business or discuss matters of interest to the Commission outside of the structured agenda items. The informational nature of this item indicates it was procedural rather than requiring any formal action or decision by the Commission.

Staff Items

75:00 Staff presented informational reports during this agenda item, with Jim Duncan serving as the primary presenter.

The staff reports included two main components:

• Transportation Planning Activity Report - This report provided updates on ongoing transportation planning initiatives and activities within the jurisdiction.

• Zoning Compliance Planning Activity Report - This report covered zoning compliance matters and planning activities related to land use regulations.

Jim Duncan presented these reports to provide the board with current information on departmental activities and ongoing planning efforts. The presentations were informational in nature, designed to keep board members updated on staff work and planning initiatives.

This agenda item served as a regular communication mechanism between staff and the governing body, allowing for transparency in ongoing departmental operations and planning activities. No formal action was required or taken on these reports, as they were presented for informational purposes only.