Courthouse Area Design Review Board Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on August 14, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the LFUCG Center, with Linda Gorton presiding as the meeting officer. The meeting addressed two primary agenda items, both involving development cases, with mixed outcomes for the proceedings.

During the session, the council took three votes and heard one public comment from community members. Case No. 2-2019 involving Rugged Cross, LLC was postponed for further consideration, while Case No. 3-2019 concerning BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership received approval from the council. The meeting demonstrated the council's ongoing work in reviewing development proposals and land use matters affecting the Lexington-Fayette community.

Votes and Decisions

The board took action on three motions during the August 14, 2019 meeting, all decided by voice vote.

Case Number 2-2019 (Rugged Cross, LLC.) The board voted to postpone case number 2-2019 involving Rugged Cross, LLC. The motion was approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Case Number 3-2019 (BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership) The board voted to approve case number 3-2019 involving BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Meeting Adjournment The board voted to adjourn the meeting. The motion to adjourn passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

All three votes were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, so individual member voting positions were not recorded. No specific vote counts, abstentions, or conditions were documented for any of the motions. The meeting materials did not include transcript timestamps for the voting portions of the proceedings.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the meeting.

Beverly Fortune spoke about the Lex Lights program, an initiative focused on improving lighting infrastructure in downtown Lexington. Fortune explained that the program aims to enhance the pedestrian experience throughout the downtown area while also highlighting the architectural features of buildings and structures. The lighting improvements are designed to make the downtown area more welcoming and visually appealing for residents and visitors.

*Note: Transcript timestamps were not available for this public comment period.*

Case No. 2-2019 (Rugged Cross, LLC.)

Case No. 2-2019 involved a request from Rugged Cross, LLC for modifications to the building located at 117 N. Limestone. The proposed work included replacing windows and rerouting electrical wiring within the structure.

The applicant requested to postpone consideration of this case during the meeting. No detailed presentation or discussion of the proposed modifications took place, as the item was deferred at the applicant's request.

The case was postponed to allow additional time for preparation or to address any outstanding issues before bringing the matter back before the board for review. The specific reasons for the postponement request were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

The outcome was that the case was officially postponed and will be rescheduled for consideration at a future meeting.

Case No. 3-2019 (BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership)

The board reviewed an application from BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership for new light fixtures at 200 & 206 W. Main Street as part of the Lex Lights initiative. The proposal included both festival lighting and LED uplights for the properties.

Beverly Fortune and Tom Tawood served as key speakers during the discussion of this agenda item. The lighting installation was presented as part of the broader Lex Lights program, which appears to be a community initiative to enhance lighting along Main Street.

The application specifically addressed two adjacent properties on West Main Street, with the proposed lighting featuring both decorative festival-style fixtures and LED uplight systems. These improvements were designed to enhance the visual appeal and safety of the downtown area.

Following discussion of the proposal, the board approved the application for the new light fixtures. The approval allows BCM, Inc. and J&J Partnership to proceed with the installation of the festival lighting and LED uplights at the specified Main Street locations.

The case represents part of ongoing efforts to improve lighting infrastructure in the downtown corridor through the Lex Lights initiative, with this particular approval covering the 200 and 206 W. Main Street properties.