Planning Commission Subdivision (Sub) Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Subdivision Committee met on March 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in the Phoenix Building, 3rd Floor Conference Room. The committee worked through a agenda of 9 items spanning a range of subdivision and development proposals across Lexington. Over the course of the meeting, 8 motions and votes were taken and 1 public comment was heard. Of the 9 agenda items considered, 5 were approved — including proposals related to Oldham & Columbia Townhomes, Higbee Creek, Highlawn Subdivision, the Rail Yard, and Newtown Springs — while 4 items were postponed, including matters involving Meadowcrest, the Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association, and two items related to the Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association properties.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took eight actions during the March 6, 2025 meeting, with all items passing or being postponed unanimously.

• Plan MJDP 24-101, Current Addition Properties — Mr. Penn moved approval with 24 conditions attached. The motion passed unanimously. 32:36

• PLN MJDP-25-00007, Calgill Partners, Meadowcrest — Madam Chair moved to postpone the item, with 21 conditions attached. The motion to postpone passed unanimously. 1:04:59

• MJDP-25-8, Shriners Hospital / Masonic Temple Association of Lexington — Mr. Penn moved to postpone the item, with a revised set of 22 conditions attached. The motion to postpone passed unanimously. 1:31:08

• PLN MJDP250009, South Lexington Development Company, Windale Development — Madam Chair moved approval with 14 conditions attached. The motion passed unanimously. 1:43:02

• PLN MJDP 2510, Highlawn Subdivision — Madam Chairman moved approval with 6 conditions attached. The motion passed unanimously. 1:46:24

• PLN MJDP 25-00011 — Madam Chair moved approval with a revised set of 14 conditions attached. The motion passed unanimously. 1:56:52

• PLN MJ SUB 2411 and PLN MJ DB 2474 — Madam Chair moved to postpone both items to April 3rd. The motion to postpone passed unanimously. No conditions were attached. 1:59:43

• PLN MJDP 24-95, Newtown Springs — Madam Chair moved approval with revised conditions attached, seconded by Mr. Penn. The motion passed unanimously. 2:07:50

No roll call votes were recorded; all actions were decided by unanimous consent. Mr. Penn and Madam Chair were the primary movers throughout the meeting. Second motions were recorded only for the final item, PLN MJDP 24-95.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Commission during the public comment period. 6:13

• Amy Clark spoke regarding the Current Addition Properties plan, raising several concerns about the proposal as presented. Specifically, Clark questioned the design of the vehicle use area and noted what she described as a lack of green space in the plan. She requested that the item be postponed to allow for improvements to be made to the proposal before moving forward.

No other public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Contested Items

Three items on the March 6, 2025 Commission agenda generated disagreement or unresolved procedural concerns, resulting in postponement recommendations for each.

• Current Addition Properties plan: Community member Amy Clark raised concerns about whether the plan complied with applicable zoning ordinances. Clark requested that the item be postponed to allow time for improvements to be made to the plan before the Commission took action.

• Cowgill Partners, LP Properties (Meadowcrest): This item was the subject of a procedural dispute centered on unresolved issues related to street cross-sections and access. Because these technical matters had not been satisfactorily addressed, the item was recommended for postponement rather than approval.

• Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington, Lots 3 & 4: Concerns were raised regarding lot coverage and access easements associated with this proposal. As with the Meadowcrest item, the outstanding issues were not resolved at the time of the meeting, and the item was recommended for postponement pending further review.

In all three cases, the contested matters were not resolved during the meeting, and postponement was the recommended course of action to allow the relevant issues to be addressed before the Commission proceeds.

Current Addition Property, Lots 31, & 38-40 (Oldham & Columbia Townhomes)

Agenda Item: PLN-MJDP-24-00101 0:00

This agenda item addressed a major development plan for the Current Addition Property, encompassing Lots 31 and 38–40, proposed as the Oldham & Columbia Townhomes project. The plan calls for the development of 13 townhomes, the reconfiguration of 3 lots, and the depiction of shared parking arrangements for the site.

Key speakers on this item included Ramona Fry, Ian McComb, and Amy Clark, who participated in the presentation and discussion of the proposal.

The committee had previously reviewed the application and recommended approval subject to 24 conditions, which were carried forward as part of the Commission's consideration. The structured data does not detail the specific conditions or any individual concerns raised during the floor discussion, but the item was brought before the Commission as a discussion item with a prior committee recommendation in hand.

The Commission ultimately approved the proposal.

Cowgill Partners, LP Properties (Meadowcrest)

32:36

The Commission took up agenda item PLN-MJDP-25-00007, a major development plan application for the Cowgill Partners, LP Properties, known as the Meadowcrest project. The proposal seeks to revise the layout on Lots 1 & 2 for a planned mixed-use development incorporating both office and residential uses.

Brandon Gross was the key speaker on this item. The discussion centered on the proposed layout revisions and the outstanding issues associated with the project.

• The application involves changes to the site configuration for Lots 1 & 2 within the Meadowcrest development.
• The project is characterized as a mixed-use development combining office and residential components.
• Unresolved issues were identified as a significant obstacle to moving the application forward at this time.

Following review, the committee had previously recommended postponement of the item due to these unresolved concerns, and the Commission acted in accordance with that recommendation. The item was postponed, with the expectation that the outstanding issues would need to be addressed before the application could return for further consideration.

No additional details regarding the specific nature of the unresolved issues are available from the meeting record at this time.

Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington, Lots 3 & 4

Case No. PLN-MJDP-25-00008 1:04:59

The Commission took up this discussion item concerning a proposed amendment for Lots 3 & 4 associated with the Shriners Hospital/Masonic Temple Association of Lexington. The amendment sought to designate Syringa Drive as a private access easement and to revise the existing building and parking layouts on the subject lots.

Fred Easteridge was identified as a key speaker in connection with this agenda item.

The item did not advance to approval at this meeting. The committee had previously recommended postponement due to unresolved issues with the proposal, and the Commission followed that recommendation. The case was postponed pending resolution of the outstanding concerns.

South Lexington Development Co, Inc (Wynndale Development, LLC) (Higbee Creek) Lot 5

Agenda Item: PLN-MJDP-25-00009 | 1:31:08

The Commission took up this agenda item concerning a major development plan amendment for Lot 5 of the Higbee Creek development, brought forward by South Lexington Development Co, Inc (Wynndale Development, LLC).

• Presenter: Rory presented the item to the Commission.
• Substance of the Amendment: The amendment depicts proposed development on Lot 5 of the Higbee Creek project.
• Committee Recommendation: The committee had previously reviewed the application and recommended approval, subject to 14 conditions.
• Outcome: The Commission approved the amendment.

No additional concerns, debate points, or dissenting positions are reflected in the available record for this item. The item moved forward consistent with the committee's recommendation.

Highlawn Subdivision, Block A, Lots 10-12

Agenda Item: PLN-MJDP-25-00010 | 1:43:33

The Commission took up this agenda item concerning Highlawn Subdivision, Block A, Lots 10-12, a major development plan that proposes updates to the street cross-section for Bolser Avenue.

• Presenter: Greg Smorstad led the presentation on this item.
• Scope of the Plan: The plan focuses on revising the street cross-section design for Bolser Avenue as it relates to the referenced lots within Block A of the Highlawn Subdivision.
• Committee Recommendation: Prior to the Commission meeting, the item had been reviewed at the committee level, which recommended approval subject to 6 conditions.
• Outcome: The Commission approved the item.

*Note: The available record does not detail the specific conditions attached to the approval, the nature of any debate or concerns raised during the discussion, or additional context about the proposed street cross-section changes. Readers seeking that detail are encouraged to consult the full meeting transcript beginning at timestamp 1:43:33.*

Delaware Group & Clay Ingels Company, LLC (Rail Yard)

Case No. PLN-MJDP-25-00011 1:46:56

The Commission took up a discussion item concerning the Delaware Group & Clay Ingels Company, LLC development known as the Rail Yard project. The plan under consideration incorporates 976 and 1000 Delaware Avenue into an existing adaptive reuse development, expanding the scope of the previously established project.

Scott Southall was the key speaker presenting on this agenda item. The proposal involves integrating the two Delaware Avenue properties into the broader adaptive reuse framework already in place for the Rail Yard development.

The item came before the Commission following committee review. The committee had recommended approval of the plan subject to a revised set of 14 conditions, reflecting any modifications or additional requirements identified during the committee's evaluation of the expanded development scope.

The Commission approved the item in accordance with the committee's recommendation, including the 14 revised conditions attached to the approval.

Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association, Lots 4 & 5

Case No. PLN-MJSUB-24-00011 1:57:36

This agenda item, involving Lots 4 and 5 of the Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association, was brought before the Commission for discussion. Brandon Gross was the key speaker associated with this item.

The matter was not fully heard at this meeting. Rather than proceeding with a complete presentation or vote, the item was postponed to the April 3rd meeting to allow for further discussions between the applicant and staff. No additional details regarding the nature of those ongoing discussions, any specific concerns raised, or the substance of the proposed subdivision were provided in the record for this meeting.

The Commission will take up this item again at its April 3rd session, at which point staff and the applicant are expected to have resolved the outstanding issues that necessitated the delay.

Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association Property, Lot 4 (The Fountains of Palomar)

Case No. PLN-MJDP-24-00074 1:57:36

This agenda item, concerning the Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association Property, Lot 4 — also known as The Fountains of Palomar — was brought before the Commission as a discussion item. Brandon Gross was identified as the key speaker for this matter.

The item did not advance to a full presentation or deliberation at this meeting. Instead, the Commission determined that additional time was needed for further discussions with staff before the matter could be meaningfully considered. As a result, the item was postponed to the April 3rd meeting, where it is expected to return following those staff-level conversations.

No detailed presentation, debate, or specific concerns were recorded in connection with this item at the March 6, 2025 meeting, given its postponement prior to substantive discussion.

Newtown Springs, Lot 4 Amended

Agenda Item: PLN-MJDP-24-95 | 2:00:49

The Commission took up a discussion item concerning an amendment to Lot 4 of the Newtown Springs development. The amendment depicts a restaurant, drive-thru parking, and associated circulation on the outlot.

Rory presented the item to the Commission. The committee had previously reviewed the proposal and recommended approval subject to revised conditions.

The Commission approved the amendment.