Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on February 28, 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 officer. The commission addressed eight agenda items during the session, with all items receiving approval. The meeting included significant business such as a public hearing on the 2018 Comprehensive Plan, multiple zoning map amendments, and development plan reviews for various properties throughout the county.

Throughout the meeting, the commission conducted 10 motions and votes on the various agenda items before them. Eight members of the public provided comments during the public comment periods, offering input on the matters under consideration. The agenda covered a range of planning and development issues, including routine administrative matters like approval of minutes and postponements, as well as substantive zoning and development decisions that will impact future land use in Lexington-Fayette County.

The commission's work during this session demonstrates the ongoing planning and development activity in the region, with multiple private development projects and policy initiatives moving forward through the approval process.

Attendance

All members were present at the February 28, 2019 meeting.

Present: • Bill Wilson • Headley Bell • Will Berkley • Patrick Brewer • Larry Forester • Karen Mundy • Bruce Nicol • Mike Owens • Frank Penn • Carolyn Plumlee • Graham Pohl

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The commission took action on ten items during the February 28, 2019 meeting, with all eleven members present and voting.

Administrative Items The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the January 24, 2019 meeting on a motion by Carolyn Plumlee, seconded by Karen Mundy 0:02.

Postponements Four items were postponed by unanimous votes: - PLN-MAR-18-00023 (LATA, LLC Zoning Map Amendment & Bryan Property Development Plan) was indefinitely postponed on a motion by Frank Penn, seconded by Patrick Brewer 0:10 - PLN-MAR-19-00001 (Clover Communities Zoning Map Amendment & Baptist Church of Andover Development Plan) was postponed to March 28, 2019 on a motion by Karen Mundy, seconded by Carolyn Plumlee 0:08 - ZOTA 2018-5 (Amendment to Article 15-4(b) regarding front yard fence heights in multi-family developments) was postponed to May 23, 2019 on a motion by Larry Forester, seconded by Patrick Brewer 0:06

Major Approval The Imagine Lexington 2018 Comprehensive Plan with associated appendices and clarifications passed 8-3 on a roll call vote initiated by Mike Owens and seconded by Carolyn Plumlee 1:45. Voting in favor: Bill Wilson, Headley Bell, Will Berkley, Patrick Brewer, Larry Forester, Mike Owens, Frank Penn, and Carolyn Plumlee. Voting against: Karen Mundy, Bruce Nicol, and Graham Pohl.

Development Approvals Five development-related items passed unanimously with staff conditions: - PLN-MAR-17-00029 (Raymond Allen Waits Zoning Map Amendment) 2:30 - PLN-MJDP-17-00081 (Waits/Moore LTD Partnership Property Development Plan) 2:45 - PLN-MAR-18-00015 (Justice Plaza, LLC Zoning Map Amendment) 3:15 - PLN-MJDP-18-00060 (Man O' War Development, Unit 2A, Lot 10 Development Plan) 3:30

The commission also unanimously approved initiating a zoning ordinance text amendment to update Article 6-4 through 6-6 on a motion by Frank Penn, seconded by Patrick Brewer 4:00.

Public Comment

The meeting included public comments on several zoning matters and the Comprehensive Plan, with multiple speakers requesting postponements for various applications.

Zoning Application Postponements

Three speakers requested delays for pending zoning matters. Jacob Walbourn requested a three-month postponement to the May 23, 2019 meeting for a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to allow time to potentially withdraw the application 0:06. Nick Nicholson asked for postponement of the Clover Communities Zoning Map Amendment to the March 28, 2019 meeting to continue working with staff and inform neighborhood associations 0:08. Matt Carter requested an indefinite postponement for the LATA, LLC Zoning Map Amendment to consider amending the application to include adjoining properties 0:10.

Comprehensive Plan Support

Four speakers addressed the Imagine Lexington Comprehensive Plan, all expressing support for the document and its tools. Chris Woodall discussed the extensive public input and revisions made to the plan 1:00. Jim Duncan emphasized the plan's focus on growth and highlighted the importance of the Placebuilder as a tool for transparency 1:15. Graham Pohl expressed full support for both the Comprehensive Plan and the Placebuilder, addressing concerns about guidelines and consistency 1:45. Frank Penn voiced frustration with the lack of a land use map since 2013 and supported the Placebuilder for providing consistency in decision-making 1:50.

Specific Zoning Concern

Nathan Billings spoke regarding the Raymond Allen Waits Zoning Map Amendment, representing adjacent property owners and requesting that additional notes be added to the development plan 2:45.

The public comment period demonstrated significant interest in both procedural matters related to pending zoning applications and strong community support for the new Comprehensive Plan and its implementation tools.

Contested Items

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

2018 Comprehensive Plan

The approval of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan generated significant debate and controversy during the meeting. The primary source of contention centered around concerns regarding the Placebuilder component and its associated criteria. Council members expressed disagreements about various aspects of this planning tool and the standards it would establish for future development decisions.

The discussion revealed fundamental differences of opinion among council members about the plan's approach and implementation. These concerns were substantial enough to prevent unanimous approval, ultimately leading to a divided vote on the comprehensive plan's adoption.

The split vote outcome indicates that while the plan may have received approval, it did not have the full support of all council members present. The specific vote tallies and individual council member positions were not detailed in the available information, but the contentious nature of the debate suggests significant policy disagreements about the city's long-term planning direction.

The Comprehensive Plan represents a critical policy document that will guide the community's development and growth patterns for years to come, making the split vote particularly significant for future municipal decision-making and planning processes.

Approval of Minutes

0:02

The board considered approval of the minutes from the January 24, 2019 meeting. Carolyn Plumlee presented the minutes for review.

The minutes were approved unanimously without discussion or amendments.

Postponements and Withdrawals

0:06 The meeting addressed requests for postponements and withdrawals of various zoning items on the agenda. Key speakers during this discussion included Nick Nicholson, Jacob Walbourn, and Matt Carter.

The discussion focused on reviewing and processing formal requests from applicants to either postpone their zoning cases to a future meeting date or withdraw their applications entirely. This procedural agenda item allows applicants to modify their submission status before their cases are heard by the board.

The speakers presented the various postponement and withdrawal requests that had been submitted prior to the meeting. These administrative actions help manage the meeting agenda and accommodate applicants who may need additional time to prepare their cases or who have decided not to proceed with their zoning requests.

All postponement and withdrawal requests presented during this agenda item were approved by the board. This outcome allows the affected zoning cases to be removed from the current meeting's active agenda, with postponed items being rescheduled for future consideration and withdrawn items being removed from the review process entirely.

The approval of these requests represents standard procedural business that helps ensure the efficient management of the zoning review process and provides flexibility for applicants in the system.

2018 Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing

1:00 The meeting continued the public hearing for the 2018 Comprehensive Plan that was originally opened on December 10, 2018. This agenda item focused on gathering additional public input and discussing the Placebuilder component of the comprehensive planning process.

Key speakers during this discussion included Chris Woodall, Jim Duncan, Graham Pohl, and Frank Penn, who participated in the ongoing dialogue about the comprehensive plan's development and implementation.

The hearing addressed public input that had been received since the December meeting and examined how community feedback would be incorporated into the final planning document. Discussion centered on the Placebuilder, which appears to be a tool or process used in developing the comprehensive plan's recommendations for future development and land use patterns.

The public hearing format allowed for continued community engagement in the comprehensive planning process, providing residents and stakeholders with opportunities to comment on proposed policies and development strategies that would guide the jurisdiction's growth and development over the coming years.

Following the discussion and consideration of public input, the comprehensive plan public hearing was approved, indicating that the hearing process had been completed satisfactorily and the plan could move forward in the approval process. This approval represents a significant milestone in the multi-month comprehensive planning effort that began with the initial public hearing in December 2018.

Raymond Allen Waits Zoning Map Amendment

2:30

The council considered petition PLN-MAR-17-00029, a zoning map amendment request by Raymond Allen Waits to rezone property located at 2200 Old Higbee Mill Road from Agricultural Urban to Single Family Residential.

Hal Baillie served as the key speaker presenting information on this zoning petition. The request sought to change the zoning classification to allow for single family residential development on the property currently zoned for agricultural use in an urban setting.

The petition was approved by the council, allowing the property at 2200 Old Higbee Mill Road to proceed with the requested zoning change from Agricultural Urban to Single Family Residential designation.

Waits/Moore LTD Partnership Property Development Plan

2:45

The council considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-17-00081, a development plan for the Waits/Moore LTD Partnership Property. Tom Martin served as the key speaker presenting this ordinance to the council.

The development plan was presented for approval with specific conditions and notes attached. The council reviewed the proposal and ultimately voted to approve the Waits/Moore LTD Partnership Property Development Plan.

The ordinance was approved as presented, allowing the development to proceed under the established conditions and requirements outlined in the plan.

*Note: Limited transcript data was available for this agenda item. The summary reflects the basic procedural information and outcome recorded in the meeting materials.*

Justice Plaza, LLC Zoning Map Amendment

3:15

The council considered an amended petition for a zone map amendment from Justice Plaza, LLC (PLN-MAR-18-00015). The proposal sought to rezone property located at 1916 Justice Drive and 1750 Pleasant Ridge Drive from an Interchange Service Business zone to a Commercial Center zone.

Traci Wade served as the key speaker presenting information on this zoning amendment request. The petition represented a modification to an earlier zoning proposal for the same properties.

The zoning change would allow for different commercial uses on the properties compared to what is currently permitted under the Interchange Service Business designation. Commercial Center zoning typically accommodates a broader range of retail and commercial activities.

The council approved the zoning map amendment for Justice Plaza, LLC's properties on Justice Drive and Pleasant Ridge Drive.

Man O' War Development, Unit 2A, Lot 10 Development Plan

3:30

The council considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-18-00060, a development plan for Man O' War Development, Unit 2A, Lot 10. Tom Martin served as the key speaker presenting this ordinance to the council.

The item involved approval of a development plan for the specified lot within the Man O' War Development project. The proposal came before the council as an ordinance requiring formal consideration and vote.

Following the presentation and any discussion, the council approved the development plan with conditions. The specific conditions attached to the approval were not detailed in the available meeting materials, but the conditional approval indicates the council found the project acceptable with certain requirements or modifications.

The approval allows the development to proceed on Lot 10 within Unit 2A of the larger Man O' War Development, subject to meeting the conditions established by the council.

Initiation of Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment

4:00

The Urban County Council considered a request to initiate a zoning ordinance text amendment focused on updating Articles 6-4 through 6-6 of the zoning code.

Traci Wade served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the proposal to the council. The amendment seeks to revise specific sections of the existing zoning ordinance, though the extracted data does not detail the specific nature of the proposed changes to these articles.

The council approved the initiation of this zoning ordinance text amendment. This approval represents the formal beginning of the amendment process, which will allow staff to proceed with developing the specific text changes and conducting the necessary review procedures required for zoning ordinance modifications.

The approval of the initiation does not constitute final adoption of any zoning changes, but rather authorizes the commencement of the formal amendment process for Articles 6-4 through 6-6 of the zoning ordinance.