Planning Commission Subdivision Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on January 11, 2024, at 1:30 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 seven agenda items during the session, taking a total of eight votes on various planning and development matters throughout the afternoon.

The meeting resulted in a mixed set of outcomes, with four items receiving approval and three items being postponed for future consideration. The approved items included the Lail Property, Givens Property Lot 9 (Citation Point), Bluegrass Business Park, and Dixie Bridge Company Property matters. Meanwhile, the commission chose to postpone decisions on three significant items: the Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington proposal, Newtown Springs Unit 1 Lot 10, and Wolf Run Industrial Park Block A Lot 1.

No public comments were heard during this particular meeting session, indicating that the commission focused primarily on its internal deliberations and decision-making processes for the items on the agenda. The session demonstrated the commission's ongoing work in managing urban development and planning matters for Lexington-Fayette County, with commissioners taking action on over half of the items presented while exercising caution by postponing others that may have required additional review or consideration.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 11, 2024 meeting:

• Larry Forester
• Zach Davis
• Judy Worth
• Graham Pohl
• Ivy Barksdale
• William Wilson
• Robin Michler
• Johnathon Davis (arrived late)
• Mike Owens

Two members were absent:

• Nicol
• Meyer

Johnathon Davis arrived late to the meeting but was present for the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included eight formal votes, all of which passed unanimously with no opposition or abstentions.

Performance Bonds and Letters of Credit 0:45 Zach Davis motioned to approve performance bonds and letters of credit, seconded by William Wilson. The motion passed unanimously 8-0, with votes from Larry Forester, Zach Davis, Judy Worth, Graham Pohl, Ivy Barksdale, William Wilson, Robin Michler, and Mike Owens.

Case PLN-MJDP-23-00076: Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association 6:30 Judy Worth motioned to postpone this case, seconded by Graham Pohl. The postponement was approved unanimously 9-0, with all nine members voting in favor.

Case PLN-MJDP-23-00080: Newtown Springs, Unit 1, Lot 10 10:00 Graham Pohl motioned to postpone, seconded by Ivy Barksdale. The postponement passed unanimously 9-0.

Case PLN-MJDP-23-00050: Wolf Run Industrial Park, Block A, Lot 1 14:00 Graham Pohl again motioned to postpone, seconded by Ivy Barksdale. The postponement was approved unanimously 9-0.

Case PLN-MJDP-23-00079: Lail Property 18:00 Graham Pohl motioned for approval, seconded by Mike Owens. The case was approved unanimously 9-0.

Case PLN-MJDP-23-00071: Givens Property, Lot 9 (Citation Point) 25:00 Judy Worth motioned for approval, seconded by Graham Pohl. The case was approved unanimously 9-0 with 16 conditions recommended by staff.

Case PLN-FRP-23-00008: Bluegrass Business Park Waiver 35:00 Graham Pohl motioned for approval, seconded by William Wilson. The waiver was approved unanimously 9-0.

Case PLN-MNSUB-23-00057: Dixie Bridge Company Property Waiver 45:00 Graham Pohl motioned for approval, seconded by William Wilson. The waiver was approved unanimously 9-0 with two conditions as recommended by staff.

Appointments

The council took action on one appointment during the meeting.

• Johnathon Davis was appointed to the Urban County Planning Commission.

The appointment was processed as part of the council's regular business for filling positions on various municipal boards and commissions.

Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington

6:30

The Planning Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-23-00076 regarding the Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington development proposal.

Key speakers during the discussion included Fred Eastridge and Judy Worth, who addressed the commission about the project.

The applicant requested a one-month postponement of the agenda item to allow additional time to address specific concerns that had been raised regarding the development proposal. The primary issues identified were:

• Loss of greenspace associated with the proposed development
• Over-parking concerns related to the site plan

The commission granted the applicant's request for postponement, allowing the development team additional time to revise their proposal and address the environmental and parking-related issues before returning for further consideration.

The item was postponed pending the applicant's efforts to modify the proposal to better address community concerns about preserving green space and appropriately sizing the parking facilities for the intended use.

Newtown Springs, Unit 1, Lot 10

10:00

The planning application PLN-MJDP-23-00080 for Newtown Springs, Unit 1, Lot 10 was briefly addressed during the meeting. Branden Gross spoke on behalf of the applicant, requesting a one-month postponement of the agenda item.

The postponement request was made to allow additional time for the applicant to address compliance issues related to Article 16 requirements. No detailed discussion of the specific compliance concerns or the nature of the development proposal took place during this meeting.

The board granted the requested postponement, and the item will be rescheduled for consideration at a future meeting once the applicant has had time to resolve the Article 16 compliance matters.

Wolf Run Industrial Park, Block A, Lot 1

14:00

The planning board considered application PLN-MJDP-23-00050 for Wolf Run Industrial Park, Block A, Lot 1. Tom Martin, representing the applicant, addressed the board regarding the project status.

Martin requested a two-month postponement of the application to allow time to address issues related to significant trees on the property. The applicant needs additional time to evaluate and develop solutions for preserving or properly managing the existing tree coverage as part of the development proposal.

No detailed presentation of the industrial park plans was made during this meeting, as the focus was solely on the postponement request. The board did not engage in substantive discussion about the merits of the proposed development or raise specific concerns about the project itself.

The board granted the applicant's request for postponement, allowing the two-month extension to resolve the tree-related issues before returning for consideration at a future meeting.

Lail Property

The Planning Commission considered agenda item PLN-MJDP-23-00079 regarding the Lail Property amendment 18:00. Traci Wade served as the key speaker for this item.

The discussion centered on an amendment to the Lail Property development to depict the structure and lot layout. The Subdivision Committee had previously reviewed this proposal and recommended approval of the amendment.

The Planning Commission approved the Lail Property amendment following the Subdivision Committee's recommendation. The amendment will allow for the updated depiction of structures and lot configuration on the property.

*Note: Limited transcript details were available for this agenda item. The summary is based on the available structured data indicating the item's approval and the Subdivision Committee's prior recommendation.*

Givens Property, Lot 9 (Citation Point)

25:00

The committee reviewed agenda item PLN-MJDP-23-00071 regarding the Givens Property, Lot 9, also known as Citation Point. The Subdivision Committee had previously recommended postponement of this item due to outstanding questions about compliance with Article 20 of the Zoning Ordinance.

Key speakers during the discussion included Tom Martin and Tony, who addressed the compliance concerns that had led to the initial postponement recommendation. The discussion focused on resolving the questions related to Article 20 requirements and ensuring the project met all applicable zoning standards.

Despite the Subdivision Committee's earlier recommendation to postpone, the item was ultimately approved during this meeting. The approval suggests that the compliance questions regarding Article 20 of the Zoning Ordinance were satisfactorily addressed during the discussion.

The project identifier PLN-MJDP-23-00071 indicates this was a major development plan application that had been under review since 2023. The resolution of the Article 20 compliance issues allowed the committee to move forward with approval rather than continue the postponement.

Bluegrass Business Park

35:00

The commission discussed agenda item PLN-FRP-23-00008 regarding the Bluegrass Business Park development. The primary issue centered on a waiver request related to the timing of state funding from Kentucky for street construction within the business park.

Tom Martin and Rory Kaylee served as the key speakers during this discussion, presenting details about the funding timeline challenges and the need for flexibility in the construction schedule. The waiver was specifically requested to accommodate delays or adjustments in when the state of Kentucky would provide funding for a street section within the development.

The discussion focused on how the timing of state funding could impact the overall development timeline of the Bluegrass Business Park and whether granting the waiver would be appropriate given the circumstances. The speakers addressed the practical implications of waiting for state funding versus proceeding with alternative arrangements.

After consideration of the presented information and discussion among commission members, the waiver request was approved. This approval allows the Bluegrass Business Park development to proceed with more flexibility regarding the timing of state funding for the street construction component of the project.

The approval enables the development to move forward without being strictly bound to the original timeline requirements, providing accommodation for the realities of state funding processes and their potential delays.

Dixie Bridge Company Property

45:00

The commission reviewed agenda item PLN-MNSUB-23-00057 regarding the Dixie Bridge Company Property. Tom Martin presented a waiver request to allow the purchase of an access easement to be held fee simple as part of the rear lot.

The discussion centered on the technical aspects of converting an access easement into fee simple ownership, which would incorporate the easement area directly into the property ownership rather than maintaining it as a separate easement right. This type of arrangement typically provides clearer ownership boundaries and can simplify future property transactions.

Martin explained the rationale for the waiver request, though specific details of the presentation were not captured in the available materials. The proposal involved modifying standard subdivision requirements to accommodate this particular ownership structure for the rear lot access.

The commission considered the request and determined that the waiver was appropriate for this situation. No significant concerns or objections were raised during the discussion, and the technical nature of the request appeared to be straightforward from a planning perspective.

The commission approved the waiver request, allowing the Dixie Bridge Company Property to proceed with purchasing the access easement and holding it as fee simple ownership as part of the rear lot. This approval enables the property owner to move forward with their planned ownership structure and eliminates potential complications that could arise from maintaining separate easement rights.