Lexington City Council discussed the possibility of either no longer allowing mini-warehouse storage facilities in the city or adopting design standards for such facilities drafted by the city Planning Commission, but didn’t reach a decision on the use.
Currently, mini-warehouse facilities are only allowed in the city’s C-2 zoning districts, which cover the entrance corridors on South Main and East Nelson streets. They are a conditional use, meaning that in order to build one, a property owner would have to apply for a conditional use permit which would need to be reviewed by both the Planning Commission and City Council. No such facilities have been built in the city.
During its March 13 and March 27 meetings, the Planning Commission discussed and drafted design standards for the facilities, recommending that they be multi-story buildings and that the exterior be designed to emulate a multi-family residential building or multi-story office building to better fit in with the look of the rest of the city. Other standards limited the type of things that could be stored, prohibiting motor vehicles and hazardous materials, among other things. The Planning Commission’s ultimate recommendation was that the use no longer be allowed in the city, but if Council wished to keep it, to adopt the proposed design standards.
Council Member Nicholas Betts suggested adopting the design standards rather than eliminating the use, noting that there are “limited development opportunities” in the city, but that it was “important to consider people’s property rights” as well.
“We do want to increase the tax base and have employment opportunities for folks and housing options for folks, but I think it’s important to consider that this is currently allowed in the C-2 zoning district, and I think those considerations need to be balanced with the fact that, currently, people have bought land there and maybe thought that was an option of something to do,” he said. “I think the middle ground here is to go with the new standards that will make the mini-warehouses maybe more aesthetically pleasing in our entrance corridors.”
Mayor Frank Friedman agreed with Betts about there potentially being better uses for some of these properties and that the use should continue.
“Taking away a use doesn’t necessarily make sense,” he said. “Having the conditional use applied to it so we don’t end up with something that’s unattractive [and] doesn’t conform to the rest of the neighborhood or the rest of the city makes a great deal of sense.”
Council Member John Driscoll pointed out that the areas where mini-warehouses are allowed are the same ones where the recently adopted Planned Development-Mixed Use zoning district could be utilized, which could potentially create an opportunity for a development with a storage facility on the ground floor and residential units above it.
“We could benefit students and residents,” he said. “I think having that opportunity within the city, if it’s appropriately designed, is a good idea.”
Council Member David Sigler noted that there are mini-warehouse storage facilities just outside of the city limits north of Lexington on U.S. 11 and East on U.S. 60 toward Buena Vista.
At Friedman’s suggestion, Council agreed to table the discussion to a future meeting to allow time to further review the proposed design standards.
