Planning Commission - Zoning Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on May 28, 2026, at 1:30 PM ET in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the LFUCG Government Center, located at 200 East Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. The meeting addressed 7 agenda items spanning map amendment requests, development plans, zoning ordinance text amendments, and a tax increment financing report. Across the meeting, 12 motions and votes were recorded and 1 public comment was heard.

Of the 7 agenda items considered, 4 were approved and 3 were postponed. The approved items included the LCD Acquisitions, LLC map amendment request and The Standard at Lexington development plan, two zoning ordinance text amendments (PLN-ZOTA-24-6 revising Article 3A10 for the Economic Development Zone and PLN-ZOTA-26-3 amending Article 8-1-D1 to allow retail alcohol sales in association with a horserace track), and the TIF Report for Red Mile. The three postponed items were the Mt. Laurel Lands Company map amendment and development plan, the South Broadway Project Owner, LLC map amendment and Parker Tobacco Co. Inc. (The Dean Lexington) development plan, and the Edward McGhee map amendment and Tom Collins Farm (McGhee Property) development plan. No presiding officer was identified in the meeting record.

Attendance

The following members were present at the Commission meeting on May 28, 2026:

• Ivy Barksdale
• Mike Owens
• Judy Worth
• Zach Davis
• Molly Davis
• Johnathan Davis
• Larry Forester
• William Wilson

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took action on twelve items during the May 28, 2026 meeting.

• April 23, 2026 Minutes – The minutes were approved with one abstention. 1:58

• PLN-MAR-26-00008 – A motion by Jonathan Davis, seconded by Molly Davis, to postpone the South Broadway Project Owner, LLC map amendment request and Parker Tobacco Co. Inc. development plan passed unanimously. The matter is postponed to July 23. 3:32

• PLN-MAR-26-00012 – A motion seconded by Molly Davis to postpone the RAK Properties LLC map amendment request passed unanimously. The matter is postponed to July 23. 4:34

• PLN-MAR-26-00009 – A motion to postpone the Edward McGhee map amendment request and Tom Collins Farm development plan passed unanimously. The matter is postponed to July 23. 6:27

• PLN-MAR-26-00004 – A motion seconded by Molly Davis to postpone the Mt. Laurel Lands Company map amendment request and development plan passed unanimously. The matter is postponed to July 23. 7:35

• PLN-MAR-26-00011 – A motion seconded by Jonathan Davis to postpone the Fox South LLC map amendment request passed unanimously. The matter is postponed to June 11. 9:10

• PLN-MAR-26-00010 – A motion by Larry Forester to approve the LCD Acquisitions, LLC map amendment request passed on a roll call vote with 2 nays, based on staff recommendations. 1:27:19

• PLN-MJDP-26-00029 – A motion seconded by William Wilson to approve the J. Forbing & Sons and Hayman Subdivision development plan passed on a roll call vote with 2 nays, subject to seven conditions. 1:33:12

• PLN-MJDP-26-29 – A motion seconded by William Wilson to approve a waiver request for the J. Forbing & Sons and Hayman Subdivision passed on a roll call vote with 1 nay, based on staff-recommended reasons. 1:34:16

• PLN-ZOTA-24-6 – A motion seconded by Molly Davis to approve revisions to Article 3A10 for the Economic Development Zone passed unanimously, with two conditions. 1:52:10

• PLN-ZOTA-26-3 – A motion by Penn, seconded by Molly Davis, to amend Article 8-1-D1 to allow retail alcohol sales in association with a horserace track passed unanimously, with two justifications on record. 2:04:47

• Red Mile TIF District Expansion – A motion by William Wilson, seconded by Penn, to approve the expansion of the TIF district for Red Mile passed unanimously, finding the expansion in compliance with the comprehensive plan. 2:27:24

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Commission during the public comment period at this meeting.

• Braden spoke in full support of The Standard at Lexington development. 1:25:41 He highlighted the project's potential to redevelop and reuse older warehouse areas in the vicinity, and noted the development's proximity to both downtown and the University of Kentucky as positive factors. No concerns or opposition were raised in his remarks.

No other public comments were recorded at this meeting.

Contested Items

• LCD Acquisitions, LLC Map Amendment Request — This item generated debate among commissioners, resulting in a split vote on whether to approve the map amendment request. Some commissioners raised concerns about the proposal's relationship to the surrounding corridor, specifically citing a lack of engagement with it, as well as an emphasis on internal circulation rather than outward connectivity. The split vote indicates that while a majority ultimately supported the request, not all commissioners were satisfied that these concerns had been adequately addressed. [No transcript timestamp available]

MT. LAUREL LANDS COMPANY MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST AND MT. LAUREL LANDS COMPANY PROP

The Commission took up Agenda Item 1, a discussion regarding a map amendment request submitted by Mt. Laurel Lands Company for property located at 2137 Old Paris Road. The request sought to reclassify the property's zoning designation from Single Family Residential to Wholesale and Warehouse Business.

Key speaker Matt Miniard addressed the Commission on this item. The discussion centered not on the merits of the rezoning itself, but on a procedural matter: the required public notice obligations for the map amendment had not been fully met prior to the meeting.

Both the Zoning Committee and Staff reviewed the item and jointly recommended postponement on the grounds that the notice requirements remained unmet. In accordance with standard zoning procedures, proper notice to affected parties and the public must be completed before a map amendment request can be formally considered and acted upon by the Commission.

As a result of the unmet notice requirements and the recommendation from both the Zoning Committee and Staff, the Commission postponed this agenda item. No action was taken on the underlying map amendment request or any associated property development plan at this meeting.

SOUTH BROADWAY PROJECT OWNER, LLC MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST AND PARKER TOBACCO CO. I

The Commission took up Agenda Item 2, a map amendment request submitted by South Broadway Project Owner, LLC in connection with the Parker Tobacco Co. Inc. (The Dean Lexington) development plan. The request sought to rezone property located at 1021, 1057, and 1059–1069 S. Broadway from a Wholesale and Warehouse Business zone designation to a Neighborhood Business zone designation.

CMW, Inc. was identified as a key speaker in connection with this item.

The Zoning Committee and Staff both recommended that the item be postponed pending the gathering of further information. No final decision on the merits of the rezoning request was made at this meeting. The item was ultimately postponed in accordance with that recommendation.

No additional details regarding the specific concerns raised, the nature of the outstanding information needed, or the substance of any presentation or debate were available from the meeting record for this item.

EDWARD McGHEE MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST AND TOM COLLINS FARM (McGHEE PROPERTY) DEVELOPMENT PLAN

This agenda item concerned a map amendment request and associated development plan for property located at 4865 Tates Creek Road and 4720 Saron Drive. The proposal sought to rezone the parcels from Single Family Residential to Medium Density Residential.

• The applicant's representative, Eagle Engineering, was identified as the key party associated with the request.
• The Zoning Committee had previously reviewed the item and recommended postponement at the applicant's request prior to the full Commission meeting.
• As a result of that recommendation, the item was postponed at the May 28, 2026 Commission meeting without substantive debate or presentation on the merits of the rezoning or development plan.

No additional details regarding the specific development proposal, concerns raised by commissioners or the public, or the timeline for future consideration were available from the meeting record.

LCD ACQUISITIONS, LLC MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST AND J. FORBING AND SON'S & HAYMAN SU

10:24

The Commission took up discussion of a map amendment request submitted by LCD Acquisitions, LLC, along with the associated J. Forbing and Son's & Hayman Subdivision development plan, collectively referred to as The Standard at Lexington. 10:24

The request sought to rezone several parcels from Light Industrial and Wholesale and Warehouse Business zone to Corridor Node zone. The properties involved in the amendment are located at the following addresses:

• 416, 422–424, 430–436, and 442 Chair Avenue
• 451 Chair Avenue
• 441 Hayman Avenue
• 633 S Broadway

Key speakers on this item included Daniel Crum and Chris Cheney, who presented or addressed questions related to the proposal.

The Zoning Committee had previously reviewed the request and recommended approval, though that recommendation was made pending review of new information that had come before the committee. The Commission's discussion reflected the Zoning Committee's conditional posture, acknowledging that additional materials required consideration before a final determination could be made.

The item was ultimately approved by the Commission.

PLN-ZOTA-24-6 REVISIONS TO ARTICLE 3A10 FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ZONE

1:35:21

The Commission took up agenda item 5, a proposed ordinance addressing revisions to Article 3A10 governing the Economic Development Zone. Daniel Crum presented the item on behalf of staff.

The revisions were designed to introduce greater flexibility into the Economic Development Zone, with changes focused on two primary areas:

• Supportive uses: Modifications to the types of supportive uses permitted within the zone.
• Residential development: Updates to provisions related to residential development opportunities within the zone.

Staff recommended approval of the revised text as presented. Following the presentation and discussion, the Commission approved the item.

PLN-ZOTA-26-3 AMEND ARTICLE 8-1-D1 TO ALLOW RETAIL ALCOHOL SALES IN ASSOCIATION WITH A HORSERACE TRACK

1:53:14

The Commission took up agenda item 6, a proposed ordinance amendment to Article 8-1-D1 that would allow retail alcohol sales in association with a horserace track. The discussion centered specifically on enabling Keeneland to sell commemorative bottles of bourbon as a retail product.

Key speakers on this item included Jeremy Young and Nick Nickelson, who presented and discussed the proposed zoning text amendment. The amendment, designated PLN-ZOTA-26-3, would modify existing zoning regulations to permit this type of retail alcohol sales activity at a horserace track location.

The Commission considered the request, which was narrowly tailored to the context of a horserace track operation — reflecting the unique commercial and cultural character of a facility like Keeneland. The sale of commemorative bourbon bottles represents a retail use distinct from on-premises alcohol consumption, necessitating the zoning text amendment to explicitly authorize it.

The item was ultimately approved by the Commission.

TIF REPORT FOR RED MILE

2:05:22

The Commission received a presentation on the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district associated with the Red Mile, focusing on a proposed expansion of the district to incorporate additional land intended to support infrastructure improvements. The improvements outlined include stormwater and utility upgrades within the expanded area.

Key speakers on this item were Traci Wade and Preston Worley, who presented the details of the proposed TIF district expansion to the Commission.

The item was approved by the Commission.