Board of Adjustment Meeting

February 9, 2026 · Board · 11,514 words

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Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington Fayette County Zoning Board of Adjustment convened on February 9, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers at 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky, with Bob Sturdivant presiding. The board worked through a full agenda of 9 items, consisting of 3 variance requests and 6 conditional use permit requests. Over the course of the meeting, 9 motions and votes were taken and 3 public comments were heard. Of the 9 items considered, 8 were approved and 1 — the variance request by Melissa Robinson — was denied.

Attendance

The following board members were present at the February 9, 2026 meeting:

Bob Sturdivant
Chad Walker
Harry Clark
Ross Bogus
Brandon Gross

All five members were in attendance. No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The Board took action on nine items during the February 9, 2026 meeting.

PLN-BOA-25-00148 — Theta of Kappa Alpha Housing Corporation's request for a variance to reduce the required perimeter landscape buffer from 15 feet to 0 feet passed unanimously, 5–0, subject to two listed conditions. 48:55

PLN-BOA-25-00153 — James Monroe's request for a variance to reduce the required side yard setback from 5 feet to 3 feet passed unanimously, 5–0, subject to two listed conditions. 50:54

PLN-BOA-25-00142 — Melissa Robinson's request for a variance to reduce the required side street side yard setback for a corner lot from 30 feet to 9 feet 5 inches failed on a roll call vote, 0–5. Voting against: Bob Sturdivant, Chad Walker, Harry Clark, Ross Bogus, and Brandon Gross. The motion was seconded by Harry Clark. 1:07:14

PLN-BOA-25-00107 — Thida Yi Yi's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed unanimously, 5–0, subject to four conditions. The motion was made by Chad Walker. 1:13:04

PLN-BOA-25-00150 — Cool Places II LLC's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed unanimously, 5–0, subject to four conditions. 1:15:33

PLN-BOA-25-00152 — Lexington Garden Properties LLC's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed unanimously, 5–0, subject to four conditions. 1:17:45

PLN-BOA-25-00139 — Five Star Renovations LLC's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed on a roll call vote, 5–0, subject to four conditions. Motion by Chad Walker, seconded by Harry Clark. All five members — Bob Sturdivant, Chad Walker, Harry Clark, Ross Bogus, and Brandon Gross — voted in favor. 1:26:45

PLN-BOA-25-00144 — Jesse Thomas's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed on a roll call vote, 5–0, subject to four conditions. All five members voted in favor. 1:36:53

PLN-BOA-25-00151 — The DeRossett Group LLC's request for a conditional use permit for an un-hosted short term rental passed on a roll call vote, 5–0, subject to four conditions, with occupancy limited to six individuals. All five members voted in favor. 1:47:03

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Board during the February 9, 2026 meeting, with all three comments centered on concerns related to short-term rental properties.

Patty Drouse 1:22:28 spoke broadly about the relationship between short-term rentals and affordable housing availability in Lexington. Drouse expressed concern that the proliferation of short-term rentals is negatively impacting the supply of affordable housing units in the community.

Aaron Adkins 1:30:23 spoke in opposition to a specific short-term rental application involving a property on Whiteberry Drive. Adkins raised concerns about potential community disruption and argued that the application conflicts with HOA policy.

Colin Allen 1:44:15 addressed concerns about a short-term rental on St. Teresa Drive, focusing specifically on parking issues and the number of occupants the rental would accommodate.

All three speakers raised distinct but related concerns — ranging from broad housing policy implications to neighborhood-level impacts — reflecting community interest in how the Board approaches short-term rental applications.

Contested Items

Three items on the February 9, 2026 Board meeting agenda drew notable opposition from the community.

Variance Request by Melissa Robinson: This request faced community opposition centered on concerns about its impact on neighborhood character. The Board ultimately denied the request, citing both insufficient justification from the applicant and the opposition raised by community members.

Conditional Use Permit Request by Five Star Renovations LLC: Concerns were raised regarding the potential effects of short-term rentals on affordable housing availability and neighborhood character. Community members voiced opposition to the permit, reflecting broader anxieties about how short-term rental activity can alter the composition and accessibility of residential neighborhoods.

Conditional Use Permit Request by Jesse Thomas: This request also drew opposition, with community members expressing concerns about potential violations of HOA policy and the broader impact on the neighborhood community. The opposition highlighted tensions between individual property use requests and existing community governance structures.

All three items generated pushback rooted in concerns about preserving neighborhood character and community standards, though the specific issues varied — ranging from affordable housing impacts in the Five Star Renovations LLC matter to HOA policy compliance in the Jesse Thomas request. The Melissa Robinson variance was explicitly denied; outcome details for the two conditional use permit requests were not specified in the available record.

Variance Request by Melissa Robinson

Agenda Item: PLN-BOA-25-00142 1:07:14

The Board considered a variance request submitted by Melissa Robinson seeking to reduce the required side street side yard setback for a corner lot from 30 feet to 9 feet 5 inches — a reduction of more than 20 feet from the standard requirement.

Key speakers on this item included Melissa Robinson and Dalton Belcher. Staff recommended disapproval of the request, citing a lack of sufficient justification for granting the variance from the established setback standard.

The Board ultimately denied the variance request.

Variance Request by Theta of Kappa Alpha Housing Corporation

Case No. PLN-BOA-25-00148 48:55

The Board considered a variance request submitted by Theta of Kappa Alpha Housing Corporation seeking to reduce the required perimeter landscape buffer from 15 feet to 0 feet.

Presenter: Nick Nicholson presented the item to the Board.
Request: The applicant sought a complete elimination of the standard 15-foot perimeter landscape buffer requirement, reducing it to 0 feet.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommended approval of the variance as submitted.

The Board approved the variance request.