Planning Commission Zoning Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on August 28, 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 was presided over by Zach Davis. The commission worked through a total of 3 agenda items, which included the approval of minutes, postponements and withdrawals, and a substantive matter concerning micro-distilleries in the Downtown Business (B-2) Zone — all three of which were approved. Over the course of the meeting, 3 votes were taken and 3 public comments were heard.

Attendance

The following members were recorded for the Commission meeting on 2025-08-28:

Present: - Zach Davis - Ivy Barksdale *(arrived late)* - Molly Davis - Mike Owens - Larry Forester - Frank Penn - Judy Worth

Absent: - J. Davis - Michler - Nicol

Seven members were present, with Ivy Barksdale arriving late. Three members — J. Davis, Michler, and Nicol — were absent from the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took action on three items during the August 28, 2025 meeting, with all votes resulting in unanimous outcomes.

• PLN-ZOTA-24-00006 — Postponement of Article 23A-10 Revisions (Economic Development Zone): Mike Owens moved to postpone proposed revisions to Article 23A-10 pertaining to the Economic Development (ED) zone; Judy Worth seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 7–0. Voting in favor: Zach Davis, Ivy Barksdale, Molly Davis, Mike Owens, Larry Forester, Frank Penn, and Judy Worth. No members voted against or abstained.

• PLN-MAR-25-00010 — Postponement of War Admiral Place, LLC Zone Map Amendment: Judy Worth moved to postpone the War Admiral Place, LLC zone map amendment; Larry Forester seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 7–0. Voting in favor: Zach Davis, Ivy Barksdale, Molly Davis, Mike Owens, Larry Forester, Frank Penn, and Judy Worth. No members voted against or abstained.

• PLN-ZOTA-25-00006 — Approval of Micro-Distillery in the Downtown Business (B-2) Zone: Larry Forester moved to approve the addition of micro-distillery as a use in the Downtown Business (B-2) zone, incorporating staff alternative language; Mike Owens seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 8–0. Voting in favor: Zach Davis, Ivy Barksdale, Molly Davis, Mike Owens, Larry Forester, Frank Penn, and Judy Worth. No members voted against or abstained. The approval was conditioned on the inclusion of staff alternative language.

No transcript timestamps are available for any of the three votes. Note that the vote count for PLN-ZOTA-25-00006 is recorded as 8 ayes, while seven individual members are listed by name; the record does not identify the source of the additional vote.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Commission during the public comment period, all speaking to the proposed micro-distillery text amendment.

• Brian Luftman spoke in favor of the text amendment, emphasizing the opportunity for Lexington to establish itself as part of the broader bourbon tourism industry.

• Nick Nicholson also expressed support for the amendment, pointing to the success of similar initiatives in Louisville as evidence of the concept's viability.

• Casey Mather offered a more nuanced perspective, voicing general support for the amendment while raising several concerns. Mather specifically flagged issues related to fire safety, mold, and the potential impact on the preservation of historic buildings.

No transcript timestamps are available for these comments. The predominant sentiment among speakers was supportive of the text amendment, though Mather's remarks highlighted practical and preservation-related considerations that the Commission may need to address as the proposal moves forward.

Approval of Minutes

The Commission reviewed and approved the minutes from its previous meeting, held on July 10, 2025. Zach Davis was the key speaker on this agenda item. No concerns or debate were noted in the record. The minutes were approved.

Postponements and Withdrawals

During this agenda item, the Commission considered requests to postpone certain zoning items on the meeting's agenda. Brandon Gross and Nick Nicholson were the key speakers involved in presenting or discussing the postponement requests.

The Commission approved the postponement requests as presented. No additional details regarding the specific items postponed, the reasons for postponement, or any concerns raised during the discussion are available in the meeting record for this item.

Micro-distillery in the Downtown Business (B-2) Zone

Agenda Item C1 | Ordinance | Outcome: Approved

The Commission took up a text amendment to allow micro-distilleries as a permitted use within the Downtown Business (B-2) Zone. The proposal included restrictions governing how such operations could function within the zone.

Key speakers on this item were Jeremy Young and Jon Woodall, who presented and discussed the amendment. The Commission considered staff's alternative language for the text amendment, which was ultimately the version adopted rather than the originally proposed language.

The amendment was approved with the staff alternative language incorporated.