Board of Adjustment Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Division of Planning Planning Services Section Board of Adjustment convened on November 10, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky, with Chair Sturdivant presiding. The board worked through a full agenda of 7 items, consisting of variance requests and conditional use permit applications submitted by individual property owners and organizations. Over the course of the meeting, 7 motions and votes were taken and 1 public comment was heard. Of the 7 agenda items considered, 4 were approved and 3 were denied: variance requests by Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White, Kristin Weeks, and a conditional use permit request by James Holub were all denied, while requests by Kelley Mathis, Lexington Home Ownership Commission II Inc, Cane Manor LLC, and Silver Springs Farm Equine & Vineyard LLC were approved.

Attendance

The following members were present at the November 10, 2025 Board meeting:

• Chair Sturdivant
• Mr. Clark
• Mr. Gross
• Mr. Purser
• Mr. Boggess

No members were absent or late. All five members were in attendance for the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Board considered seven items and issued the following decisions:

• PLN-BOA-25-00116 — Variance request by Kelley Mathis to reduce the required side yard setback. Motion by Mr. Clark. Approved unanimously (7–0) with conditions: construction must conform to submitted application materials and site plan, all necessary permits must be obtained, and the air conditioning unit shall not be placed within three feet of the side property line. Voting in favor: Chair Sturdivant, Mr. Clark, Mr. Gross, Mr. Purser, and Mr. Boggess. 27:06

• PLN-BOA-25-00121 — Variance request by Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White to increase the maximum allowable height of an accessory structure. Motion by Mr. Clark. Denied unanimously (0–7). Voting against: Chair Sturdivant, Mr. Clark, Mr. Gross, Mr. Purser, and Mr. Boggess. 58:04

• PLN-BOA-25-00126 — Variance request by Kristin Weeks to reduce the required setback from the side lot line for a driveway. Motion by Mr. Clark. Denied unanimously (0–7). Voting against: Chair Sturdivant, Mr. Clark, Mr. Gross, Mr. Purser, and Mr. Boggess. 1:10:43

• PLN-BOA-25-00127 — Variance request by Lexington Home Ownership Commission II Inc to reduce the required landscape buffer for a parking lot. Motion by Mr. Clark. Approved (6–0, 1 abstention) with conditions: construction must conform to submitted application materials and site plan, all necessary permits must be obtained, and the Board of Adjustment's action must be noted on the corollary final development plan. Voting in favor: Chair Sturdivant, Mr. Clark, Mr. Purser, and Mr. Boggess. 1:23:31

• PLN-BOA-25-00030 — Variance and conditional use permit request by Cane Manor LLC for a short-term rental. Motion by Mr. Clark. Approved unanimously (7–0) with conditions: occupancy limited to no more than eight individuals, and all necessary permits and approvals must be obtained. 2:27:43

• PLN-BOA-25-00129 — Conditional use permit request by Silver Springs Farm Equine & Vineyard LLC for a hosted short-term rental. Motion by Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Purser. Approved unanimously (7–0) with conditions: occupancy limited to no more than four individuals, and all necessary permits and approvals must be obtained. 2:36:01

• PLN-BOA-25-00124 — Conditional use permit request by James Holub for an un-hosted short-term rental. Motion by Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Purser. Denied unanimously (0–7). Voting against: Chair Sturdivant, Mr. Clark, Mr. Gross, Mr. Purser, and Mr. Boggess. 2:46:32

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Board during the public comment period at the November 10, 2025 meeting.

• Paul Gardner spoke in opposition to a proposed parking lot variance 1:15:20. Gardner raised concerns about the potential impact of the development plan on the surrounding neighborhood, specifically citing increased traffic flow and the safety risks that additional traffic could pose to children in the area.

No other public comments were recorded for this meeting.

Contested Items

Two items on the November 10, 2025 Board meeting agenda generated notable disagreement.

Variance Request – Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White

A variance request submitted by Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White sought approval to increase the height of an accessory structure. The request faced community opposition, with concerns raised about maintaining neighborhood character. The Board ultimately denied the variance, finding that sufficient justification for the height increase had not been established. The combination of inadequate supporting rationale and resident pushback proved decisive in the outcome.

Variance and Conditional Use Permit – Cane Manor LLC

A request by Cane Manor LLC for both a variance and a conditional use permit produced a split vote among Board members. Notably, the Board's decision ran counter to the staff recommendation, which had advised disapproval of the request. Despite that guidance, the Board voted to approve both the variance and the conditional use permit, with members citing unique circumstances surrounding the application and a determination that any impact on the surrounding area would be minimal. The divergence between the staff recommendation and the Board's final decision reflects the contested nature of this item.

Variance request by Kelley Mathis

Case No. PLN-BOA-25-00116 27:06

The Board considered a variance request submitted by Kelley Mathis to reduce the required side yard setback from three feet to one foot and six inches.

• Applicant: Kelley Mathis presented the request before the Board.
• Request: The variance sought to reduce the standard side yard setback requirement by one foot and six inches, bringing it down from the required three feet to one foot and six inches.
• Staff recommendation: Staff recommended approval of the variance, subject to conditions.
• Outcome: The Board approved the variance request.

Variance Request by Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White

58:04

The Board considered variance request PLN-BOA-25-00121, submitted by Katherine Vass and Nicholas Andrew White, seeking approval to increase the maximum allowable height of an accessory structure beyond what is permitted under current regulations. Staff recommended disapproval of the request.

Andrew White appeared as a key speaker during the discussion of this item, presenting the applicants' case to the Board.

Following the presentation and discussion, the Board denied the variance request.

Variance Request by Kristin Weeks

1:10:43

The Board took up agenda item PLN-BOA-25-00126, a variance request submitted by Kristin Weeks. The request sought to reduce the required setback from the side lot line for a driveway.

Kristin Weeks appeared as the key speaker on this item, presenting her case to the Board. Staff had recommended disapproval of the variance request ahead of the meeting.

The Board ultimately denied the variance request, consistent with the staff recommendation.

Variance request by Lexington Home Ownership Commission II Inc

1:23:31

The Board considered case PLN-BOA-25-00127, a variance request submitted by Lexington Home Ownership Commission II Inc seeking a reduction in the required landscape buffer for a parking lot.

Key speakers: Lauren Nichols and Paul Gardner participated in the discussion of this item.

Staff recommended approval of the variance request, and the Board ultimately voted to approve the variance.

*Note: Detailed information about the specific dimensions of the requested buffer reduction, any conditions attached to the approval, and the full substance of the discussion — including any concerns raised by Board members or the public — is not available in the provided data.*

Variance and Conditional Use Permit Request by Cane Manor LLC

2:27:43

The Board considered case PLN-BOA-25-00030, a request by Cane Manor LLC for a variance and conditional use permit related to a short-term rental. Key speakers on this item included Wes Harned and Gil Dunn.

Staff presented a recommendation of disapproval for the request. Despite the staff's recommendation against approval, the Board ultimately voted to approve both the variance and the conditional use permit for Cane Manor LLC.

*Note: Detailed arguments, specific concerns raised, and the vote tally for this item are not available in the provided data.*

Conditional use permit request by Silver Springs Farm Equine & Vineyard LLC

2:36:01

The Board took up case PLN-BOA-25-00129, a conditional use permit request submitted by Silver Springs Farm Equine & Vineyard LLC for a hosted short-term rental.

Leslie Nichols-Carter was the key speaker on this item. Staff recommended approval of the conditional use permit as presented.

The Board approved the request.

Conditional use permit request by James Holub

2:46:32

The Board took up agenda item PLN-BOA-25-00124, a request by James Holub for a conditional use permit to operate an un-hosted short-term rental.

Staff presented a recommendation of disapproval, citing compliance issues associated with the application. James Holub was identified as the key speaker in the discussion of this item.

The Board ultimately denied the conditional use permit request.