Urban County Council Zone Change Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on April 13, 2021, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Council, with Vice Mayor Kay presiding. The meeting addressed one agenda item, Ordinance 0787-20, which was approved by the council. During the session, the council took one official vote and heard from two members of the public during the public comment period. The meeting successfully concluded with the passage of the ordinance under consideration.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 13, 2021 meeting:

Present: • Kay • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Kloiber • Lamb • LeGris • McCurn • Moloney • Reynolds • Sheehan • Worley • Baxter • Bledsoe

Absent: • Plomin

Late: • None

A total of 14 members were present and 1 member was absent. No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted one roll call vote during the meeting on April 13, 2021.

Ordinance 0787-20 9:32 The council voted on an ordinance to change the zoning from a Two Family Residential (R-2) zone to a High Rise Apartment (R-5) zone for property located at 325, 329 and 333 Blackburn Ave. The motion was made by Mr. McCurn and seconded by Mr. Ellinger.

The ordinance passed by a vote of 11 ayes to 2 nays, with no abstentions.

Voting in favor (11): - F. Brown - J. Brown - Ellinger - Kloiber - Lamb - McCurn - Reynolds - Sheehan - Worley - Baxter - Bledsoe

Voting against (2): - Kay - LeGris

The approval included amended conditions, with the Findings of Fact modified to include additional conditional restrictions limiting the building height to three floors.

Public Comment

Two residents spoke during the public comment period, both addressing concerns about a proposed zone change.

Jennifer Littrell-Hesseldenz 7:21 expressed opposition to a proposed R-5 zone change, citing concerns about increased traffic in the area. She advocated for maintaining an R-2 zoning designation instead, arguing that this would better preserve the existing neighborhood character.

Tony Roccanova 7:21 also spoke in opposition to the rezoning to R-5. Roccanova presented alternative building designs during his comments and emphasized the importance of considering context in both architecture and urban design decisions. His remarks focused on how the proposed zoning change would impact the area's development patterns.

Both speakers' comments centered on the same zoning issue, with traffic impacts and neighborhood compatibility being the primary concerns raised during the public comment period.

Contested Items

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

Zone Change from R-2 to R-5 for Blackburn Avenue

A proposed zoning change from R-2 to R-5 for properties on Blackburn Avenue generated substantial community pushback during the meeting. The rezoning request would have allowed for increased residential density in the area.

Community members voiced strong opposition to the proposal, expressing concerns about how the zone change would affect the existing neighborhood character. Residents specifically cited worries about increased density that would result from the R-5 zoning designation, which typically permits higher-density residential development compared to the current R-2 zoning.

The opposition centered on preserving the current residential character of the Blackburn Avenue area and preventing what community members viewed as incompatible development that could alter the neighborhood's established pattern and scale.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps, participant names, and the final outcome of this contested item were not available in the provided meeting data.*

Ordinance 0787-20

5:05

The council considered Ordinance 0787-20, which would rezone property at 325, 329, and 333 Blackburn Avenue from Two Family Residential (R-2) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) zoning. The ordinance generated significant discussion with presentations from both supporters and opponents of the proposed zoning change.

Key speakers during the discussion included Traci Wade, Chris Clendenen, and Jessica Winters, who presented various perspectives on the rezoning proposal. The debate covered the implications of changing from lower-density residential zoning that permits two-family homes to high-rise apartment zoning that would allow for significantly more dense residential development.

The discussion examined the potential impacts of the zoning change on the surrounding neighborhood, infrastructure considerations, and how the proposed development would fit within the existing community character. Both proponents and opponents had the opportunity to present their cases regarding the appropriateness of the zoning change for this specific location on Blackburn Avenue.

After considering the presentations and debate from all parties, the council voted to approve Ordinance 0787-20. The approval means the three properties at 325, 329, and 333 Blackburn Avenue will be rezoned from R-2 to R-5, allowing for high-rise apartment development at these locations.