Planning Commission Subdivision Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on July 13, 2023, at 1:31 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Government Building at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with Larry Forester presiding as the meeting officer. The commission addressed four agenda items during the session, all of which were approved, including amendments for Peninsula Lot 2, Melrose Addition Block E & J. Barringer Banker Property, Wyndale Subdivision Lot 2A, and South End Park Unit 2 (Davis Park). The meeting involved a total of 12 motions and votes throughout the proceedings. No public comments were heard during this session, and no presentations were recorded as part of the meeting activities.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 13, 2023 meeting:

• Larry Forester
• Judy Worth
• Ivy Barksdale (arrived late)
• Zach Davis
• Robin Michler
• Janice Meyer
• Bruce Nicol
• Graham Pohl
• Headley Bell

All nine members were in attendance, with Ivy Barksdale arriving after the meeting had begun. No members were absent from the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included twelve formal votes, with all motions receiving unanimous approval from the board members present.

Administrative Items The board unanimously approved the June 8, 2023 meeting minutes 0:30, with Judy Worth making the motion and Graham Pohl providing the second. All eight members present voted in favor. The board also unanimously approved performance bonds and letters of credit 2:00, with Robin Michler motioning and Judy Worth seconding.

Postponements Six development projects were postponed to the August 10, 2023 meeting:

• PLN-MJDP-23-00030: Kingston Hall, Unit 1, Lot 8 (AMD) was postponed 5:00 on a motion by Janice Meyer, seconded by Judy Worth
• PLN-MJDP-23-00029: Red Mile Mixed Use Development (AMD) was postponed 7:00 on a motion by Judy Worth, seconded by Janice Meyer
• PLN-MJDP-18-00004: Triple Stars Property was postponed 10:00 on a motion by Zach Davis, seconded by Headley Bell
• PLN-MJDP-22-00045: Distillery District West (U-Haul Lexington) (AMD) received an indefinite postponement due to floodplain issues 12:00, with Headley Bell motioning and Judy Worth seconding
• PLN-MJDP-23-00032: Homer C. Ratliff Property (AMD) was postponed 15:00 on a motion by Graham Pohl, seconded by Janice Meyer
• PLN-MJDP-23-00037: Newtown Corporation Industrial Park (ABC Storage) (AMD) was postponed 18:00 with Robin Michler motioning and Judy Worth seconding

Approvals Four development projects received approval with conditions:

• PLN-FRP-23-00015: Peninsula, Lot 2 (AMD) was approved subject to conditions and finding for access easement 20:00
• PLN-FRP-23-00016: Melrose Addition, Block E, & J. Barringer Banker Property (AMD) was approved with conditions and waiver for sanitary sewer 25:00
• PLN-FRP-23-00017: Wyndale Subdivision, Lot 2A (AMD) was approved with conditions and finding for access easement 30:00
• PLN-MJDP-22-00085: South End Park, Unit 2 (Davis Park) was approved subject to conditions 35:00

All votes included participation from Larry Forester, Judy Worth, Zach Davis, Robin Michler, Janice Meyer, Bruce Nicol, Graham Pohl, and Headley Bell. Ivy Barksdale joined the meeting and participated in votes starting with the Newtown Corporation Industrial Park item.

Peninsula, Lot 2 (AMD)

20:00

The commission reviewed agenda item PLN-FRP-23-00015, an amendment for Peninsula, Lot 2. The proposed amendment seeks to create 30 buildable lots and 1 HOA (Homeowners Association) lot within the development.

Key speakers during the discussion included Cheryl Gallt and Rory Kahly, who presented details about the subdivision amendment and addressed questions from the commission.

The amendment proposal included plans for residential development that would significantly expand the buildable area within Peninsula, Lot 2. The creation of 30 individual buildable lots represents a substantial residential development project for the area.

Staff recommended approval of the amendment, but with several important conditions that must be met before final approval. These conditions included:

• Acceptance of the proposed drainage system to ensure proper water management throughout the development
• Acceptance of the sewer system infrastructure to serve the new lots
• Approval of proposed street names and addresses for the development

The commission discussed these conditions and the overall impact of the proposed subdivision. The drainage and sewer system requirements were particularly important given the scale of the development and the need to ensure adequate infrastructure to support 30 new residential lots.

After reviewing the proposal, discussing the conditions, and hearing from the presenters, the commission voted to approve the Peninsula, Lot 2 amendment. The approval was contingent upon the developer meeting all the specified conditions related to infrastructure acceptance and addressing requirements.

This approval allows the project to move forward to the next phase of development, pending satisfaction of the outlined conditions regarding drainage, sewer systems, and street naming protocols.

Melrose Addition, Block E, & J. Barringer Banker Property (AMD)

25:00

The commission reviewed agenda item PLN-FRP-23-00016, an amendment to subdivide one lot into two lots within the Melrose Addition, Block E, and J. Barringer Banker Property.

Tom Martin and Pastor Don Hamilton served as key speakers during the discussion of this subdivision proposal. The amendment sought to divide a single existing lot into two separate parcels.

Staff recommended approval of the subdivision amendment with several conditions. The approval conditions included requirements for acceptance of both drainage and sewer systems to ensure proper infrastructure for the new lots. Additionally, a waiver for sanitary sewer requirements was included as part of the recommended conditions.

The commission ultimately approved the subdivision amendment, allowing the property owner to proceed with dividing the single lot into two separate buildable lots within the Melrose Addition area.

Wyndale Subdivision, Lot 2A (AMD)

30:00

The planning commission reviewed application PLN-FRP-23-00017 for the Wyndale Subdivision, Lot 2A amendment. The proposed development would create 20 buildable townhome lots and 1 homeowners association (HOA) lot on the property.

Key speakers during the discussion included Cheryl Gallt and Mark McIntosh, who presented details about the subdivision amendment and addressed questions from commissioners.

The amendment required several technical considerations, including the acceptance of drainage and sewer systems to serve the proposed townhome development. Staff also recommended a finding for an access easement to ensure proper ingress and egress for the subdivision.

The planning commission ultimately approved the Wyndale Subdivision amendment with conditions. The approval included requirements for the acceptance of both drainage and sewer infrastructure systems, ensuring the development would have adequate utilities. Additionally, the commission made a finding regarding the access easement as part of the approval conditions.

The approved amendment will allow the developer to move forward with creating the 20 townhome lots plus the HOA lot, subject to meeting all the specified conditions related to infrastructure and access requirements.

South End Park, Unit 2 (Davis Park)

35:00

The commission reviewed application PLN-MJDP-22-00085 for South End Park, Unit 2 (Davis Park), which had been previously approved but was brought back to ensure compliance with Article 9-6(b) of the Zoning Ordinance regarding floor area ratio (FAR) requirements.

Key speakers Tom Martin and Clay Johnson presented the updated proposal to the commission. The primary issue addressed was the project's compliance with FAR regulations, which measure the ratio of total floor area to the size of the lot on which the building is constructed.

To resolve the compliance issue, the applicant took the step of purchasing additional land. This acquisition increased the total lot size, thereby bringing the project's floor area ratio into compliance with the zoning ordinance requirements without requiring modifications to the building design or reducing the proposed floor area.

The commission reviewed the updated land acquisition and confirmed that the additional property successfully addressed the FAR compliance concerns that had been identified. With the expanded lot size, the project now meets all applicable zoning requirements under Article 9-6(b).

Following the presentation and review of the compliance measures, the commission approved the South End Park, Unit 2 (Davis Park) application. The approval allows the project to proceed with the previously approved development plans, now that the FAR requirements have been satisfied through the strategic land acquisition.