Urban County Council - Zone Change Public Hearing (Athens Boonesboro)

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on April 25, 2023, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Councilmember J. Brown presiding. The meeting addressed one agenda item, Ordinance 0249-23, which was approved by the council. During the session, the council heard from 10 members of the public who provided comments on matters before the body. The meeting included one formal vote on the ordinance under consideration.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 25, 2023 meeting:

Present: • J. Brown • Ellinger • Elliott Baxter • Fogle • Gray • LeGris • Lynch • Monarrez • Plomin • Sevigny • Sheehan • F. Brown

Absent: • Reynolds • Worley • Vice Mayor Wu

Late: • None

Twelve members attended the meeting, with three members absent. No members arrived late to the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included one recorded vote on a zoning ordinance.

Ordinance 0249-23 9:31

The council voted on an ordinance to change the zoning classification for two properties located at 5380 Athens Boonesboro Rd. and 5354 Athens Boonesboro Rd. The proposed change would rezone the properties from an Interchange Service Business (B-5P) zone to a Highway Service Business (B-3) zone.

Elliott Baxter made the motion, which was seconded by F. Brown. The ordinance included a condition stating that "A restricted Highway Service Business (B-3) zone is in agreement with the 2018 Comprehensive Plan's Goals, Objectives, and Policies."

The motion passed by a roll call vote of 10-2-0.

Voting in favor (10): - Ellinger - Elliott Baxter - Gray - LeGris - Lynch - Monarrez - Sevigny - Sheehan - F. Brown - J. Brown

Voting against (2): - Fogle - Plomin

No council members abstained from the vote.

Public Comment

The meeting included public comment from ten community members, all addressing concerns related to a proposed stadium development and associated zoning changes 7:07.

Accessibility and Transportation Concerns: - Whit Whitaker raised concerns about the stadium's location being inaccessible to marginalized communities and criticized the lack of an equity plan - Zachary Skubiz discussed inadequate public transportation options to the stadium site and suggested implementing a dedicated bus route on game nights

Traffic and Safety Issues: Multiple speakers expressed concerns about traffic impacts: - Dennis Yulkut highlighted potential traffic congestion, particularly during school hours - Philip Goodman warned about the impact on emergency vehicle access due to increased traffic - Edward Hastie raised concerns about traffic congestion and noted the lack of a confirmed traffic light at the stadium entrance

Zoning and Development Process: - Lyle Hanna voiced concerns about the broad range of uses permitted under B-3 zoning and existing traffic problems - Mary Diane Hanna criticized the planning process and expressed concerns about the stadium's community impact - Jan Meyer expressed regret over the planning commission's decision and questioned the necessity of a zone change without a confirmed stadium

Additional Concerns: - Andrew Pearson expressed skepticism about whether the stadium would actually be built and raised concerns about the developer's intentions - John Tucker discussed potential negative impacts on agricultural land and emphasized the need for protective measures

All public comments occurred during the same portion of the meeting, indicating a concentrated period for community input on what appears to be a controversial stadium development proposal.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one major contested item that generated significant community debate.

Zone Change for Soccer Stadium

The primary point of contention involved a proposed zone change to accommodate a soccer stadium development. Community members voiced substantial opposition to the proposal during the public comment period, raising multiple concerns about the project's potential impact.

Residents expressed worries about increased traffic congestion that would result from stadium events, questioning whether the existing road infrastructure could handle the anticipated volume of vehicles. Accessibility issues were also highlighted, with community members concerned about how the development would affect pedestrian and vehicular access to surrounding areas.

Perhaps most significantly, opponents raised concerns about what they characterized as a potential "bait-and-switch" regarding the stadium's ultimate location. Community members appeared skeptical about whether the proposed site would actually house the final stadium or if it might be relocated after the zone change approval, suggesting a lack of trust in the development process.

The opposition appeared to be grassroots in nature, with multiple community members participating in the discussion. The specific outcome of this contested item was not clearly documented in the available materials, though the level of community engagement suggests this was a significant local issue that required careful consideration by the governing body.

The debate highlighted typical tensions that arise in municipal planning decisions, where development proposals must balance economic opportunities with community concerns about quality of life, infrastructure capacity, and transparency in the planning process.

Ordinance 0249-23

5:04

The council considered Ordinance 0249-23, which proposed changing the zoning classification for two properties on Athens Boonesboro Road from Interchange Service Business (B-5P) to Highway Service Business (B-3). The affected properties are located at 5380 Athens Boonesboro Road and 5354 Athens Boonesboro Road.

Key speakers during the discussion included Traci Wade, Hal Baillie, Steve Ruschell, Joshua Lewis, Sam Stockley, and Vince Gabbert. The speakers addressed various aspects of the proposed zoning change, though the specific details of their presentations and any concerns raised during the discussion were not captured in the available meeting data.

The ordinance represents a shift from the more restrictive Interchange Service Business zoning to Highway Service Business zoning, which typically allows for different types of commercial activities and development standards along highway corridors.

Following the discussion and consideration of input from the speakers, the council approved Ordinance 0249-23. The approval means the zoning change for both Athens Boonesboro Road properties will take effect, allowing development under the new B-3 Highway Service Business classification rather than the previous B-5P Interchange Service Business designation.