Urban County Council - Zone Change Hearing (Clover Communities)

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on July 8, 2019, at 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting focused on a single agenda item, Ordinance 0599-19, which was ultimately denied by the council. During the session, the council took two votes and heard from three members of the public who provided comments on the matter under consideration. The meeting represented a focused session addressing one specific ordinance rather than a broader legislative agenda.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 8, 2019 meeting:

Present (12 members): • Kay • Lamb • McCurn • Moloney • Mossotti • Plomin • Reynolds • Worley • J. Brown • Ellinger • Evans • Farmer

Absent (3 members): • Bledsoe • F. Brown • Gibbs

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council considered one main item during this meeting, with two separate votes taken on the same ordinance.

Ordinance 0599-19 addressed a zoning change request for property located at 3330 Todds Rd., seeking to change the zone designation from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to High Density Apartment (R-4).

The first vote occurred on a motion made by Mr. Worley and seconded by Ms. Plomin 6:59. This motion failed with 7 ayes and 4 nays. Council members voting in favor were Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, J. Brown, and Ellinger. Those voting against were Kay, Mossotti, Evans, and Farmer.

A second roll call vote was then taken on the ordinance itself 7:25. This vote also failed, but with the vote counts reversed: 4 ayes and 7 nays. In this vote, Kay, Mossotti, Evans, and Farmer voted in favor of the ordinance, while Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, J. Brown, and Ellinger voted against it.

The reversal in voting patterns between the two votes suggests the first motion may have been procedural in nature, possibly related to how the ordinance would be handled, while the second vote was the substantive decision on whether to approve the zoning change. Ultimately, the ordinance to rezone the property from Agricultural Urban to High Density Apartment failed to pass.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the meeting during the public comment period, all expressing opposition to a proposed zone change and development project 5:40.

Mr. Ron Ayotte spoke first, raising concerns about the proposed development's physical characteristics and planning compliance. He argued that the project's height and scale were inappropriate for the area and criticized the lack of adequate buffering between the development and surrounding properties. Mr. Ayotte contended that the proposal does not align with the goals outlined in the comprehensive plan.

Mr. Edwin Gibson followed, speaking as a representative of several neighborhood associations. Gibson focused on the broader community impact of the proposed development, expressing concerns about how the project would affect the existing neighborhood character. He questioned the compatibility of the new development with the scale and nature of existing homes in the area.

Mr. James Sutton concluded the public comment period by voicing his opposition to the development proposal. Sutton specifically cited concerns about potential negative impacts on property values in the surrounding area and the overall effect the project would have on the community.

All three speakers presented a unified opposition to the zone change, with their concerns centering on themes of scale compatibility, community impact, and adherence to planning principles. The comments reflected neighborhood-level organized opposition, particularly given Gibson's representation of multiple associations. The speakers' concerns spanned both technical planning issues, such as buffering and comprehensive plan compliance, and broader community concerns about property values and neighborhood character preservation.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one significant contested item that drew community opposition.

Zone Change for 3330 Todds Rd.

The proposed zone change for the property at 3330 Todds Rd. faced substantial opposition from community members during the meeting. Residents expressed concerns about how the proposed development would impact the existing neighborhood character and the adequacy of local infrastructure to support the changes.

Community members who spoke against the zone change cited worries about the development's potential effects on their neighborhood's established residential nature. Additional concerns were raised regarding whether the current infrastructure could adequately handle the increased density or activity that might result from the proposed zoning modification.

The opposition represented broader community sentiment about maintaining the area's current character while questioning the preparedness of local systems to accommodate the proposed changes. The specific outcome of this contested item was not detailed in the available meeting materials.

Ordinance 0599-19

5:40

The council considered Ordinance 0599-19, which proposed changing the zoning classification for 8.332 net acres located at 3330 Todds Road from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to High Density Apartment (R-4).

Key participants in the discussion included Vice Mayor Kay, Ms. Traci Wade, and Mr. Nick Nicholson, who presented information and engaged in debate regarding the proposed zoning change.

The ordinance would have allowed for higher density residential development on the property, transitioning it from its current agricultural urban designation to accommodate apartment-style housing. This type of zoning change typically involves considerations of infrastructure capacity, neighborhood compatibility, traffic impacts, and community planning objectives.

Following discussion and deliberation among council members and input from the identified speakers, the council ultimately denied Ordinance 0599-19. The property at 3330 Todds Road will retain its current Agricultural Urban (A-U) zoning classification.