Planning Commission Subdivision Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on December 12, 2019, at 1:30 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Government Building at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mike Owens presiding as chair. The commission addressed 10 agenda items during the session, taking a total of 13 votes on various motions throughout the meeting. The commission heard 2 public comments from attendees regarding items under consideration.

The meeting was characterized by several postponements, with four major development projects being deferred to future meetings: Hamburg East (Baptist Healthcare Campus), the Ramsey Sullivan Property, Riddell Plaza, and Lansdowne Shopping Center. Despite these postponements, the commission successfully approved several key items, including the minutes from the previous meeting, three development projects (James RB MacCoum Subdivision Plan, Masterson Station Center, and Newtown Springs), and routine administrative matters involving the release and call of bonds.

In addition to the development-related business, the commission voted to cancel their regularly scheduled meeting of December 19, 2019, likely in recognition of the upcoming holiday period. The combination of postponements and approvals reflected the commission's ongoing work to balance thorough review of complex development proposals with the need to maintain progress on projects ready for final consideration.

Attendance

The Commission meeting on December 12, 2019 had strong attendance with 10 of 11 members present.

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

Absent: • Anthony de Movellan

Late Arrivals: • Headley Bell • Patrick Brewer

The meeting proceeded with a quorum of members in attendance.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took 13 votes during the December 12, 2019 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously.

Administrative Items The Commission approved the minutes from the November 14, 2019 meeting on a motion by Carolyn Plumlee, seconded by Karen Mundy 0:30. All 8 commissioners present voted in favor.

Postponements Four development plans were postponed to January 16, 2020: - PLN-MJDP-19-00070 (Hamburg East/Baptist Healthcare Campus) on motion by Karen Mundy, seconded by Carolyn Plumlee 3:00 - PLN-MJDP-19-00069 (Ramsey Sullivan Property, Lot 4/Gardens of Kearney Ridge) on motion by William Wilson, seconded by Larry Forester 6:00 - PLN-MJDP-19-00071 (Riddell Plaza, Lot 3/Parker Property) on motion by Carolyn Plumlee, seconded by Karen Mundy 9:00 - PLN-MJDP-19-00062 (Lansdowne Shopping Center) on motion by Karen Mundy, seconded by Carolyn Plumlee 12:00

All postponement votes were unanimous with 8 ayes for the first three items and 10 ayes for Lansdowne Shopping Center.

Approved Development Plans The Commission approved PLN-MJSUB-19-00011 (James RB MacCoum, Tract 2 & A Portion of Tract 1/The Reserve at Eden, LLC) preliminary subdivision plan on motion by Frank Penn, seconded by Larry Forester 90:00. The approval included 12 conditions and EAMP compliance. A related waiver to Article 6-8(n)(1) was also approved 95:00.

PLN-MJDP-19-00066 (Masterson Station Center/Citation Village) was approved with 15 conditions on motion by Karen Mundy, seconded by William Wilson 120:00. An associated waiver was also approved 125:00.

PLN-MJDP-19-00067 (Newtown Springs) was approved with 15 conditions on motion by Bruce Nicol, seconded by William Wilson 150:00, with conditions 14 and 15 changed from "discuss" to "resolve." A related waiver was approved on motion by William Wilson, seconded by Bruce Nicol 155:00.

Final Actions The Commission approved the release and call of bonds dated December 12, 2019 on motion by Frank Penn, seconded by Larry Forester 180:00, and voted to cancel the December 19, 2019 meeting on motion by Larry Forester, seconded by Graham Pohl 185:00.

All votes involving 10 commissioners included Mike Owens, Headley Bell, Patrick Brewer, Larry Forester, Karen Mundy, Bruce Nicol, Frank Penn, Carolyn Plumlee, Graham Pohl, and William Wilson.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Commission during the public comment period, both raising concerns related to a new development project.

Richard Murphy spoke at 100:00 regarding flooding concerns on Dr. John Cummins' property. Murphy expressed worries that a new city stormwater project could exacerbate existing flooding problems in the area. He requested that the Commission carefully review all stormwater calculations associated with the new development to ensure proper drainage and prevent additional flooding issues for neighboring properties.

Patty Draus addressed the Commission at 105:00 with concerns about increased traffic impacts from the proposed development. Draus specifically highlighted potential traffic congestion on Eden Court as a result of the new project. She suggested that the city consider installing a temporary traffic signal on Russell Cave Road as a potential solution to help manage and alleviate the anticipated increase in vehicular traffic in the area.

Both speakers focused their comments on infrastructure and quality-of-life impacts related to the same development project, with Murphy emphasizing stormwater management and drainage concerns, while Draus concentrated on traffic flow and safety issues.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the December 12, 2019 Commission meeting centered on traffic impact concerns related to a new development affecting Eden Court.

Traffic Impact on Eden Court

Local residents raised significant opposition regarding anticipated increased traffic on Eden Court resulting from a proposed new development. The community members who spoke during the meeting expressed concerns that the additional traffic volume would negatively impact their neighborhood's safety and quality of life.

As part of their opposition, residents proposed a specific solution to mitigate the traffic concerns: the installation of a temporary traffic signal on Russell Cave Road. This suggestion was presented as a way to better manage the expected increase in vehicle flow and provide safer traffic patterns for both existing residents and new development-related traffic.

The nature of this contested item reflected typical community concerns about development impacts on established residential areas. Residents were seeking proactive measures to address traffic management before the development's completion could create more significant transportation challenges in their neighborhood.

The meeting record does not specify the final outcome or resolution of this traffic concern, though the residents' specific proposal for a temporary traffic signal on Russell Cave Road demonstrates their engagement in finding practical solutions to the anticipated traffic increase on Eden Court.

Approval of Minutes

The Commission reviewed the minutes from their November 14, 2019 meeting for approval 0:30.

Mike Owens led the discussion of the minutes review process. The minutes were presented to the Commission members without any proposed changes or corrections from staff.

No commissioners raised concerns about the accuracy or completeness of the November 14, 2019 meeting minutes during the review period. There was no discussion regarding specific content or requests for modifications to the recorded proceedings.

The Commission unanimously approved the minutes of the November 14, 2019 meeting without any amendments or revisions.

Hamburg East (Baptist Healthcare Campus) Postponement

3:00

The Commission considered a postponement request for agenda item PLN-MJDP-19-00070, the Hamburg East (Baptist Healthcare Campus) development plan. Nick Nicholson addressed the Commission requesting a one-month postponement for the project.

Nicholson explained that the postponement was needed to address issues that were not directly related to the development plan itself. He did not elaborate on the specific nature of these issues during the brief discussion.

The Commission granted the requested postponement without significant debate or opposition. The Hamburg East development plan will be rescheduled for consideration at a future Commission meeting, allowing the applicant additional time to resolve the outstanding matters.

The postponement was approved, moving the item to a later meeting date to be determined.

Ramsey Sullivan Property Postponement

6:00

The Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-19-00069 regarding the Ramsey Sullivan Property. Steve Garland addressed the Commission requesting a one-month postponement for the project to allow additional time to resolve outstanding parking issues.

Garland explained that the development team needed more time to address parking concerns that had been identified during the review process. The postponement would provide the necessary time to work through these issues before bringing the matter back before the Commission for consideration.

The Commission granted the requested one-month postponement for the Ramsey Sullivan Property, allowing the applicant time to address the parking-related concerns before the item returns to a future meeting agenda.

Riddell Plaza Postponement

9:00

The Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-19-00071 regarding the Riddell Plaza development project. Matt Carter addressed the Commission to request a one-month postponement for the project.

Carter explained that the postponement was necessary to resolve outstanding issues related to property intrusion and zoning classifications that had emerged during the review process. These technical matters required additional time to address properly before the Commission could proceed with its evaluation of the development proposal.

The Commission granted the requested one-month postponement, allowing the applicant time to work through the identified property and zoning concerns. The item will return to the Commission's agenda for consideration at a future meeting once these issues have been resolved.

Lansdowne Shopping Center Postponement

12:00

The Planning Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-19-00062 regarding the Lansdowne Shopping Center project. Tony Barrett addressed the Commission requesting a one-month postponement for the development proposal.

Barrett explained that the postponement was necessary to resolve outstanding access and parking area conflicts associated with the shopping center project. The specific nature of these conflicts was not detailed in the available materials, but they appear to involve technical issues related to site circulation and parking layout that require additional time to address.

The Commission granted the requested postponement without apparent opposition, allowing the development team additional time to work through the identified access and parking concerns. The item will return to the Commission's agenda in approximately one month for further consideration once the technical issues have been resolved.

No other speakers were identified as participating in the discussion of this postponement request. The matter was handled as a routine procedural item, with the Commission accommodating the applicant's need for additional preparation time to address the outstanding site design issues.

James RB MacCoum Subdivision Plan

90:00

The Commission reviewed the preliminary subdivision plan for James RB MacCoum under case number PLN-MJSUB-19-00011. The discussion centered on two primary areas of concern: stormwater management infrastructure and potential traffic impacts from the proposed development.

Key speakers during the review included Cheryl Gallt and Tom Martin, who presented details of the subdivision proposal and addressed questions from Commission members. The preliminary plan underwent scrutiny regarding its compliance with local development standards and infrastructure requirements.

Stormwater management emerged as a significant focus of the discussion, with commissioners examining the proposed drainage systems and their adequacy for handling runoff from the new subdivision. The plan's approach to managing water flow and preventing flooding in surrounding areas was evaluated against municipal standards.

Traffic concerns also featured prominently in the deliberations, as commissioners assessed the potential impact of additional residential units on local roadways and intersection capacity. The discussion included consideration of traffic patterns and the subdivision's connectivity to existing transportation infrastructure.

Following the presentation and discussion of these key issues, the Commission moved to approve the James RB MacCoum Subdivision Plan. However, the approval came with specific conditions that must be met before the project can proceed. These conditions likely address the stormwater management and traffic concerns raised during the review process.

The conditional approval allows the subdivision to move forward in the development process while ensuring that identified issues are properly resolved before final approval and construction can begin.

Masterson Station Center

The Planning Commission reviewed development plan PLN-MJDP-19-00066 for Masterson Station Center during their December 12, 2019 meeting 120:00.

Lauren Hedge and Tom Martin served as key speakers during the discussion of this development proposal. The commission focused their review on two primary aspects of the project: pedestrian access arrangements and the proposed layout of townhouse units within the development.

The discussion centered on ensuring adequate pedestrian connectivity throughout the site and evaluating whether the townhouse configuration met the city's development standards and community needs. Commissioners examined the site plan details and considered how the proposed design would integrate with surrounding infrastructure and neighborhoods.

Following their review and discussion of the development plan, the Planning Commission voted to approve PLN-MJDP-19-00066 for Masterson Station Center. The approval came with specific conditions that the developer must meet as part of the project's implementation.

The conditional approval allows the Masterson Station Center project to move forward in the development process while ensuring that identified concerns regarding pedestrian access and townhouse layout are addressed according to the commission's requirements.

Newtown Springs

The Commission reviewed development plan PLN-MJDP-19-00067 for Newtown Springs during the December 12, 2019 meeting 150:00.

Key speakers included Lauren Hedge and Tom Martin, who presented details of the proposed development. The discussion centered on two primary aspects of the project: the pedestrian circulation systems and the layout configuration of the planned townhouse units.

The development plan underwent thorough review by Commission members, who examined various elements of the proposed design and infrastructure. Specific attention was given to how pedestrians would move through the development and the overall arrangement of the residential townhouse components.

Following the presentation and discussion of the project details, the Commission reached a decision on the application. The Newtown Springs development plan was approved, though the approval came with attached conditions that must be met as part of the project's implementation.

The approval represents a significant step forward for the Newtown Springs development, allowing the project to proceed to the next phase of the development process while ensuring that specific requirements identified during the review will be addressed.

Release and Call of Bonds

180:00

The Commission addressed the release and call of bonds dated December 12, 2019, during this agenda item. Frank Penn served as the key speaker presenting this matter to the Commission.

The discussion focused on the procedural and financial aspects of releasing and calling specific bonds that had reached their designated terms or conditions for redemption. Penn provided details regarding the bonds in question, though the specific bond amounts, series, or underlying projects were not detailed in the available materials.

The Commission reviewed the necessary documentation and procedures required for the bond release and call process. This administrative action represents a routine but important financial management function that allows the Commission to manage its debt obligations effectively and potentially reduce interest costs when appropriate.

Following Penn's presentation and the Commission's review of the matter, the release and call of bonds was approved without recorded opposition or significant debate. This approval authorizes the Commission to proceed with the bond redemption process according to the established terms and conditions.

The action taken represents standard municipal finance management, allowing the Commission to optimize its debt portfolio and fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities to taxpayers and bondholders.

Cancellation of December 19, 2019 Meeting

185:00

The Commission addressed the cancellation of their scheduled December 19, 2019 meeting during this agenda item. Larry Forester served as the key speaker for this discussion.

The Commission reviewed the proposal to cancel the December 19, 2019 meeting and discussed the rationale behind this decision. Following their deliberation, the Commission approved the cancellation of the December 19, 2019 meeting.

This action effectively removed the December 19, 2019 meeting from the Commission's schedule, allowing members to adjust their calendars accordingly for the holiday period.