Planning Commission Zoning Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on May 22, 2025, at 1:30 PM in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the LFUCG Government Center, located at 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. The meeting addressed 4 agenda items, including the approval of minutes, a zoning ordinance text amendment, a zoning map amendment for Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC, and an amendment to B-3 Zone lot coverage regulations. Over the course of the meeting, the Commission took 4 votes and heard 7 public comments. Three of the four agenda items were approved — the minutes, the Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC Zoning Map Amendment, and the Amendment to B-3 Zone Lot Coverage — while the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment was postponed.

Attendance

The following 11 members were present at the May 22, 2025 Commission meeting:

• Larry Forester
• Robin Michler
• Mike Owens
• Bill Wilson
• Frank Penn
• Bruce Nicol
• Ivy Barksdale
• Johnathon Davis
• Molly Davis
• Zach Davis
• Judy Worth

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took action on four items during the May 22, 2025 meeting.

• Approval of Minutes 18:04: Judy Worth moved, and Bill Wilson seconded, approval of the minutes from the March 13, 2025 and April 24, 2025 meetings. The motion passed unanimously, 11–0.

• PLN-ZOTA-24-00006 – Postponement of Article 23A-10 Revisions (Economic Development Zone) 19:13: Frank Penn moved, and Mike Owens seconded, postponement of the proposed revisions to Article 23A-10 for the Economic Development (ED) zone. The motion passed unanimously, 11–0. The item was postponed to August 28, 2025.

• PLN-MAR-24-00017 – Zone Change for Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC 1:46:09: Frank Penn moved, and Ivy Barksdale seconded, approval of a zone change from R-1A to R-3 for Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC. The motion passed unanimously, 11–0, with the condition that the development be limited to 30 single-family lots.

• PLN-ZOTA-25-00002 – Amendment to Remove Minimum Lot Coverage Requirement in the B-3 Zone 2:48:20: Robin Michler moved, and Ivy Barksdale seconded, approval of an amendment to remove the minimum lot coverage requirement in the B-3 zone. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 6–5.
• Voting in favor (6): Larry Forester, Robin Michler, Mike Owens, Bill Wilson, Frank Penn, Ivy Barksdale
• Voting against (5): Johnathon Davis, Molly Davis, Zach Davis, Bruce Nicol, Judy Worth

Public Comment

Seven members of the public spoke during the comment period, with the majority of comments focused on the Rose Holdings development proposal.

In Opposition:

• Peter Eckerburt 1:06:33 raised concerns about increased traffic resulting from the development and requested a postponement to allow additional time to review filings.
• Carin Lovell 1:18:43 also opposed the development, citing concerns about tree removal and traffic impacts.

In Support:

• Claude Wagner 1:09:19 expressed support for the development plan and directly addressed concerns that had been raised about tree removal.
• Nassim Khan 1:11:33 supported the proposal, arguing that it would provide benefits for housing availability.
• Harold Janes 1:13:16 spoke in favor of the development and also addressed the tree removal concerns.
• Jim Goodman 1:16:32 supported the development, noting concerns about the potential for higher-density alternatives if the proposal were not approved.

Neutral/Institutional:

• Janice Rosebrook 1:12:41 spoke on behalf of St. Raphael's Episcopal Church, stating that the church has no objections to the development.

The predominant themes across public comment were traffic impacts, tree removal, and housing availability. Traffic and tree removal were the two specific concerns cited by opponents, while supporters largely framed the development favorably in the context of housing needs and addressed the tree removal issue directly. Five of the seven speakers expressed support for or no objection to the Rose Holdings development, while two speakers opposed it.

Contested Items

Two items at the May 22, 2025 Commission meeting generated notable disagreement among commissioners and the public.

Amendment to B-3 Zone Lot Coverage

A proposed amendment to remove the minimum lot coverage requirement in the B-3 zone passed, but only narrowly, on a 6-5 vote. The close margin reflects a meaningful split among commissioners over the change, though the available record does not detail the specific arguments made on each side of the vote.

Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC Development

This development proposal drew opposition from community members, with concerns centered on two issues: traffic impacts and tree removal. The record does not specify the outcome of the vote on this item or identify the individual community members who raised objections.

Approval of Minutes

18:04

The Commission took up the approval of minutes from two previous meetings: the March 13, 2025, and April 24, 2025, sessions. Key speakers on this item were Judy Worth and Bill Wilson. No details of debate or concerns raised were recorded in connection with this item, and the minutes were approved.

Postponement of Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment

19:13

The Commission took up Agenda Item 2, concerning proposed revisions to Article 23A-10 of the Zoning Ordinance related to the Economic Development (ED) zone. Rather than proceeding with substantive discussion of the amendment itself, the item was brought forward specifically to address a request for postponement.

Key speakers on this item were Frank Penn and Mike Owens. The request for postponement was presented and discussed, with the Commission ultimately approving the delay rather than advancing the text amendment at this meeting.

No further details regarding the specific nature of the proposed revisions to Article 23A-10, the reasons cited for the postponement request, or any concerns raised during discussion are available from the meeting record. The outcome was a formal postponement of the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment pertaining to the Economic Development zone.

Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC Zoning Map Amendment

1:46:09

The Commission took up Agenda Item 3, an ordinance concerning a zoning map amendment requested by Rose Holdings Lexington, LLC. The proposal sought a zone change from R-1A (single-family residential) to R-3 (multi-family residential).

Key speakers on this item included Frank Penn and Ivy Barksdale. The Commission considered the request and deliberated on the conditions under which the rezoning would be appropriate.

The zone change was ultimately approved with conditions. The specific conditions attached to the approval were not detailed in the available record, but the conditional approval indicates the Commission sought to address particular concerns or requirements before granting the higher-density residential designation.

The shift from R-1A to R-3 represents a significant change in allowable land use density, moving from single-family to multi-family residential development, which typically allows for apartment buildings or other higher-density housing types.

Amendment to B-3 Zone Lot Coverage

2:48:20

The Commission took up Agenda Item 4, an ordinance addressing lot coverage requirements in the B-3 zone. The amendment proposed removing the minimum lot coverage requirement currently in place for that zoning designation.

Key speakers on this item were Robin Michler and Ivy Barksdale. The available record does not detail the specific arguments or concerns each speaker raised during the discussion, but the item was brought forward and deliberated upon by the Commission before a vote was taken.

The outcome of the vote was approval — the Commission approved the amendment to remove the minimum lot coverage requirement from the B-3 zone.