Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on November 21, 2019, at 1:30 PM in the Council Chamber on the second floor of the LFUCG Government Center at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mike Owens presiding. The commission addressed three agenda items during the session, including the approval of minutes and consideration of two zoning map amendment requests. The commission took six votes throughout the meeting and heard from two members of the public during the comment period. Of the two zoning amendment requests considered, the F2 Companies Zoning Map Amendment was approved while the Aptitude Development Zoning Map Amendment was denied.

Attendance

The following members were present at the November 21, 2019 meeting:

• Mike Owens
• Headley Bell
• Anthony de Movellan
• Larry Forester
• Karen Mundy
• Bruce Nicol
• Frank Penn
• Graham Pohl
• Carolyn Plumlee
• Bill Wilson

Absent: • Patrick Brewer

No members arrived late to the meeting. Ten of the eleven members were in attendance.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included six formal votes on various planning matters, with most passing unanimously.

Minutes Approval 0:02 Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve the minutes from October 21, 2019 and October 24, 2019, seconded by Bill Wilson. The motion passed unanimously with all 10 members voting in favor.

PLN-MAR-19-00014: F2 Companies Zone Change 2:30 Frank Penn motioned to approve the zone change for F2 Companies from B-4 to R-5, seconded by Larry Forester. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

F2 Companies Variance Request 3:00 Frank Penn motioned to approve the variance request for F2 Companies, seconded by Larry Forester. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MJDP-19-00045: Haynes Brothers Property Development Plan 3:30 Frank Penn motioned to approve the development plan for Haynes Brothers Property, LLC with revised recommendations presented by staff, seconded by Larry Forester. The motion passed unanimously 10-0.

PLN-MAR-19-00013: Aptitude Development Zone Change 5:00 Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve the zone change for Aptitude Development from R-4 to B-2A, seconded by Graham Pohl. This motion failed in a roll call vote with 6 ayes and 4 nays. Voting in favor: Mike Owens, Headley Bell, Anthony de Movellan, Larry Forester, Karen Mundy, and Bruce Nicol. Voting against: Frank Penn, Graham Pohl, Carolyn Plumlee, and Bill Wilson.

PLN-MJDP-19-00050: The Marshall Lexington Development Plan 5:30 Carolyn Plumlee motioned to postpone the development plan for The Marshall Lexington, seconded by Bill Wilson. The postponement was approved unanimously 10-0.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the council during the public comment period regarding the Aptitude Development zone change proposal.

Blake Hall 3:45 spoke in support of the Aptitude Development project. Hall emphasized the need for urban development and increased density in the area, advocating for the proposed zone change.

Jessica Winters 4:00 addressed the council representing the Aylesford Place Neighborhood Association in opposition to the Aptitude Development zone change. Winters raised concerns about the potential impact the development would have on the historic neighborhood character. She also questioned the necessity of such a development in the area, arguing there was insufficient need for the proposed project.

The public comments reflected divided community opinion on the zone change proposal, with supporters citing urban development benefits and opponents expressing concerns about preserving neighborhood character and questioning the project's necessity.

Contested Items

The November 21, 2019 meeting featured one primary contested item that generated significant community debate.

Aptitude Development Zone Change

The proposed zone change for Aptitude Development encountered substantial opposition from community members during the meeting. Residents and stakeholders raised concerns about two main issues: the potential impact on the historic character of the neighborhood and the overall scale of the proposed development project.

Community members who spoke against the zone change expressed worry that the development would alter the established historic nature of the area, potentially affecting the neighborhood's architectural integrity and cultural significance. Additionally, opponents argued that the scale of the proposed development was inappropriate for the existing community context.

The opposition represented broader community sentiment regarding development pressures and preservation of neighborhood character. Residents appeared concerned about maintaining the balance between growth and historic preservation in their area.

[Note: The provided data does not include specific transcript timestamps, participant names, vote counts, or the final outcome of this contested item. Additional meeting materials would be needed to provide complete details about the resolution of this zone change proposal.]

Approval of Minutes

0:02

The commission reviewed and approved minutes from two previous meetings during this agenda item. The minutes under consideration were from meetings held on October 21, 2019, and October 24, 2019.

Commission members Carolyn Plumlee and Bill Wilson participated in the discussion of the minutes. The review process allowed commissioners to examine the accuracy and completeness of the recorded proceedings from both October meetings.

Following the review, the commission voted to approve the minutes from both the October 21, 2019, and October 24, 2019, meetings. No specific concerns or corrections to the minutes were noted during the discussion.

The approval of these minutes ensures that the official record of the commission's October proceedings is formally accepted and will be maintained as part of the permanent meeting records.

F2 Companies Zoning Map Amendment

2:30

The council considered petition PLN-MAR-19-00014, a zoning map amendment request from F2 Companies to rezone property at 840 Angliana Avenue from Wholesale and Warehouse Business (B-4) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) zone.

Key speakers during the discussion included Frank Penn and Larry Forester, who presented information regarding the proposed zoning change. The petition sought to convert the current commercial zoning designation to allow for high-rise residential development on the Angliana Avenue property.

The council ultimately approved the zoning map amendment, allowing F2 Companies to proceed with their plans to develop high-rise apartments at the 840 Angliana Avenue location. The change from B-4 to R-5 zoning will permit the construction of multi-story residential buildings where previously only wholesale and warehouse businesses were allowed.

Aptitude Development Zoning Map Amendment

5:00

The Planning Commission considered petition PLN-MAR-19-00013, a request from Aptitude Development for a zoning map amendment affecting properties on E. Maxwell Street and Stone Avenue. The petition sought to rezone the area from High Density Apartment (R-4) to Downtown Frame Business (B-2A).

Key speakers during the discussion included Carolyn Plumlee and Graham Pohl, who presented arguments regarding the proposed zone change. The amendment would have allowed for different types of commercial development in an area currently designated for high-density residential use.

The commission engaged in deliberation about the merits of converting residential zoning to business zoning in this particular location. The discussion centered on the appropriateness of the proposed B-2A Downtown Frame Business designation for the properties along E. Maxwell Street and Stone Avenue.

Following the presentation and discussion, the Planning Commission voted to deny the zoning map amendment request. The properties will retain their current High Density Apartment (R-4) zoning designation, maintaining the residential character of the area rather than allowing the transition to commercial business use that Aptitude Development had requested.