Urban County Planning Commission - Zoning Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened on December 18, 2008, at 1:34 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 Randall Vaughn. The Commission addressed 3 agenda items during the session, including the approval of minutes, postponements and withdrawals, and a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment Request, which was approved with modifications. A total of 4 votes were taken throughout the meeting, and no public comments were heard.

Attendance

The following members were present at the December 18, 2008 Commission meeting:

• Patrick Brewer
• Marie Copeland
• Mike Cravens
• Mike Owens
• Frank Penn
• Carolyn Richardson
• Lynn Roche-Phillips
• Randall Vaughn

The following members were absent:

• Neill Day
• Ed Holmes
• Joan Whitman

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

The Commission took four votes during the December 18, 2008 meeting.

• MAR 2008-31 – A motion by Mike Cravens, seconded by Lynn Roche-Phillips, to postpone the Trustees of the First United Methodist Church of Lexington, Kentucky zoning map amendment passed unanimously by voice vote, 8–0. The matter was postponed to January 29, 2009. All eight commissioners present — Patrick Brewer, Marie Copeland, Mike Cravens, Mike Owens, Frank Penn, Carolyn Richardson, Lynn Roche-Phillips, and Randall Vaughn — voted in favor. 7:20

• MAR 2008-32 – A motion by Mike Owens, seconded by Frank Penn, to postpone the RML Construction, RLLP zoning map amendment also passed unanimously by voice vote, 8–0, with the same eight commissioners voting in favor. This item was likewise postponed to January 29, 2009. 8:24

• ZOTA 2008-8 (first motion) – Carolyn Richardson moved, seconded by Mike Cravens, to amend Article 28 to allow additional signage in the Mixed-Use Community (MU-3) zone. The motion failed on a tied roll call vote of 4–4. Voting in favor were Carolyn Richardson, Mike Cravens, Patrick Brewer, and Randall Vaughn. Voting against were Frank Penn, Mike Owens, Lynn Roche-Phillips, and Marie Copeland. 1:28:54

• ZOTA 2008-8 (second motion) – Following the failed first motion, Lynn Roche-Phillips moved, seconded by Frank Penn, to amend Article 28 to allow additional signage in the MU-3 zone but excluding the additional language related to off-site signage. This motion passed by voice vote, 7–1. Marie Copeland cast the sole dissenting vote. 1:30:14

Contested Items

• Amendment to Article 28 (Signage in the MU-3 Zone): The Commission considered a proposal to amend Article 28 to allow additional signage in the MU-3 zone. The item generated disagreement among commissioners regarding the appropriateness of permitting off-site signage under the proposed regulation. The matter was not resolved by consensus, resulting in a split vote. Specific vote tallies and the names of commissioners on each side of the vote are not available in the meeting record, nor is the final outcome of the vote indicated in the available data.

Approval of Minutes

5:14

The Commission reviewed the minutes from its two previous meetings, held on November 13th and November 20th. Frank Penn and Carolyn Richardson were among the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No corrections or additions were raised by any members of the Commission, and the minutes were approved as presented.

Postponements and Withdrawals

6:16

The Commission took up Agenda Item 2, addressing requests for postponement of zoning map amendments. Two cases were considered: one involving the Trustees of the First United Methodist Church and another involving RML Construction.

Key speakers on this item included Foster Ockerman Jr. and Rena Wiseman. The discussion centered on the requests to postpone the zoning map amendment cases rather than proceeding with them at the December 18 meeting.

The Commission approved the postponement requests for both cases. No additional details regarding the specific reasons for postponement, the nature of the underlying zoning map amendments, or the dates to which the cases were postponed are reflected in the available record for this agenda item.

Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment Request

9:32

The Commission took up a request to amend Article 28 of the Zoning Ordinance to allow additional signage in the Mixed-Use Community (MU-3) zone. The proposed changes addressed pole-mounted banners and other signage types within that zoning designation.

Key speakers on this item were Traci Wade and Bruce Simpson, who participated in presenting and debating the proposal. The discussion centered on the specifics of what additional signage would be permitted under the amended language and how those changes would apply to the MU-3 zone.

The Commission ultimately approved the request with modifications, indicating that while there was general support for expanding signage allowances in the Mixed-Use Community zone, adjustments were made to the original proposal before it received final approval.