The Richmond Planning Commission voted Monday night to recommend rezoning a 31-acre tract off Cycle Drive behind the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center.
If approved by the city commission, nearly 26 acres of the property would be zoned R-3 (apartments), with almost 5 acres zoned B-1 (neighborhood business).
The planners’ recommendation would require the developer to fulfill his pledge to build, within five years, a street about three-quarters of a mile long from Cycle Drive through his property and across land owned by Eastern Kentucky University to South Kit Carson Drive.
The developer, former National Football League player Stephen F. Kenney of Raleigh, N.C., had asked that he be allowed to construct a sidewalk on only one side of the street rather than both sides, as city code requires, but the request was denied.
Attorney Michael Eaves, who represented Kenney’s firm, Colonel’s Ridge LLC before the commission, said Kenney would accept the condition. EKU already has agreed to grant right of way across its property for the street, Eaves said.
Kenney also would be agreeable to allowing Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center to construct an exit from its property, about 800 feet away, to the new street, Eaves said.
Gail McGillis, chief executive of Hospice Care Plus, which operates a care center to the south of the property, asked the planners to consider limiting noise and lights from any development of the property.
Rather than making the zone change contingent upon those conditions, Eaves said such concerns could more appropriately be addressed when development plans for the property were considered.
To ensure an appropriate buffer, Commissioner Michael Fore said it should be made part of the zone change as a conditional use, and submitted a motion to that effect.
An earlier motion by Commissioner Richard Thomas to approve the recommendation without the buffer requirement died for lack of a second.
Fore’s motion was approved, 4-1, with commissioners J.D. Chaney, David Rush, Neen Wiggins and Fore in favor, Thomas opposed, and Mary Lillian Abney and Eugene Estelle absent.
Thomas said he favored the zone changes but voted against the motion because he believed the buffer requirement was unnecessary.
A development plan for First United Methodist Church of Richmond to build an 18,000 square foot ministry center behind its current buildings on Main Street was approved 3-1, with Thomas in opposition after Chaney left the meeting.
The plan includes a waiver of the city’s requirement that buildings be at least 10 feet from property lines. The proposed structure’s distance from boundaries would be 8.84 to 7.55 feet on one side, 5.0 feet on another and 4.38 on a third.
Thomas said, “That building is too big for that lot.”
When asked if the commission could approve a motion with fewer than four votes, Planning Director Mike Roberts phoned City Attorney Garrett Fowles. According to KRS 100.171, if a quorum is present, development plans could be approved with a simple majority, he told Roberts.
The question was urgent, Pastor Eugene Strange said, because financing for the project was approved for a limited time.
City Codes Enforcement Director Joe Lillis said even with its development plan accepted, the church could not obtain a building permit until he had approved its building plan. Lillis said he had returned the church’s building plans for revisions, but they had not been resubmitted.
A development plan from Alfredo Gomez for a Mexican restaurant at 240 Eastern Bypass, to be known as Casa Fiesta 2, was tabled until the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting.
The commissioners voted for the delay to allow Gomez an opportunity to negotiate with an adjacent property owner for additional access to the restaurant from South Porter Drive.
“Mr. Gomez already has a problem with access at his current location (on Wayne Drive), so you’d think he’d be interested in getting better access at his new location,” Thomas said.
If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the commissioners present said they still would approve the plan.
A site plan for Ron Rose to erect a 6,725 square-foot office building next to RT’s restaurant at 1025 Center Drive between Berea Road and Southern Hills was approved with the condition that 6-foot-tall shrubbery be planted on two sides of the property to buffer it from an adjacent residential development.
Development plans were approved for:
• Dr. Gaurang Shah to build a 6,360 square-foot medical office at 2025 Corporate Drive between Berea Road and Southern Hills.
• Bluegrass Hearing Clinic to add 3,000 square-foot to its current 5,500 square-foot building at 1036 Amberly Way
• Heritage Place LLC to construct two 6,000 square-foot commercial buildings in its Barnes Mill Road development across from Richmond Centre
• Arcadian Cove senior living complex off Duncannon Lane to build 42 condominiums around its current assisted-living building.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
Local News
Church plan approved
Planners recommend zone change behind hospital
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Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery. -
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report. -
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen. -
Volunteers needed for equine therapy
The Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center will be hosting two, one-day volunteer training workshops for those interested in helping others with special needs.
The volunteer orientation days will be Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but only one day of training is required, according to Mark Martin who co-owns Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center (AFTEC) with his wife Cheryl.
The all-volunteer organization, which is based in Jackson County, uses horses to help humans deal with physical and emotional challenges. -
Man accused of holding samurai sword to girlfriend’s throat
A Madison grand jury will hear the case of a man accused of threatening to cut his girlfriend’s head off, and attacking her father with a samurai sword.
Russell M. Masters, 42, of Richmond, is charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, which is a Class D felony, and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence with minor injury) and resisting arrest, which both are Class A misdemeanors. Masters could receive one to five years in prison on each wanton endangerment charge, and the misdemeanors both carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail. -
Arrest made in connection with stolen jewelry, computer
Richmond police have made an arrest in connection with property stolen from two homes last fall.
A woman reported to police Monday that she had discovered several items that were missing from her home on South Killarney Drive and her grandmother’s home on Raintree Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock. The items were a set of gold hoop earrings, a white Sony Vaio laptop, a yellow gold heart pendant, a gold tennis bracelet and a ladies’ wedding band with a diamond setting.
The complainant said the belongings had gone missing sometime between August and October. -
US 25 business owners scared of five-lane plan
Voices of Berea business owners upset about upcoming construction on US 25 will be taken to the state level, according to city administrator Randy Stone.
Several people operating businesses along a section of US 25 gave comments Tuesday to the Berea City Council, asking them reconsider plans to widen the road to five lanes.
The design is a five-lane highway with a center turn lane and a 10-foot shared use path on one side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the other side. -
Grand jury to hear copper theft case
The attorney for a man accused of stealing copper from a handful of electric poles questioned his identification as the same person who took copper from 32 poles two days earlier.
Public defender Meena Mohanty questioned Richmond police officer Nicholas Duvall during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Madison District Court. Her client, Jeffrey W. Nester, 46, of Fourth Street, was arrested in connection with a Jan. 23 copper theft. He is charged with second-degree criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, possession of burglary tools and failure to notify address change to the Department of Transportation. These charges are all misdemeanors that, at most, carry a sentence of one year in prison. -
Judge weighs constitutionality of legislative redistricting
Kentucky’s deadline for filing to run for legislative seats was in flux on Monday because a judge did not immediately rule on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of newly redrawn district boundaries.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said he expects to enter a ruling in the case by mid-week.
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Couple recovering from injuries suffered in weekend house fire
A couple was hospitalized after their home was set ablaze Sunday by a spark from a cigar, according to a county fire official.
County Fire Chief Jim Cox said the city and county fire departments were called to the home at 111 Concord Road in the early afternoon. Waco Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department also responded.
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