LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Board of Adjustment heard a mix of zoning appeals on June 8, including requests for variances on residential property modifications and conditional use permits for short-term rentals and commercial expansions.

The board considered two variance requests that staff recommended for disapproval. O'Shea and Brooke Hudspeth requested variances to eliminate the required five-foot front yard setback and increase driveway width from 24 feet to 30 feet on their Cherry Meadow Path property in Council District 12. Staff argued the applicants failed to demonstrate unique circumstances or hardship and noted the property had sufficient parking available without the changes.

Ethan Skeeter's request to increase the maximum height of an accessory building from 20 feet to 25 feet on Walhampton Drive also faced staff opposition, which stated the applicant could use the garage without the second-story addition and that the expansion circumvented zoning ordinance intent requiring accessory structures to be subordinate to principal structures.

The board heard more favorable staff recommendations on conditional use permits. Lexington's short-term rental regulations, adopted in 2023, allow property owners to apply for conditional use permits under specific conditions. Jennifer M. Medrano's request for an unhosted short-term rental at 332 E. Lowry Lane in an R-1C zone received staff approval, with conditions limiting occupancy to six individuals and requiring necessary permits and licenses. Charles Thomas Allen's request for an unhosted short-term rental at 2030 Rambler Road also earned staff approval with a 10-person occupancy cap.

A request from Lexington Universal Academy, a private school with approximately 155 students serving pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, to construct a parking area on its Nicholasville Road property faced staff disapproval. The Division of Traffic Engineering determined the proposed design would create access management, circulation, and stacking issues. Staff suggested the school could address parking needs with a single access point that would create safer conditions.

The board approved a conditional use permit for GreenbergFarrow to construct a drive-through facility at 1419 Newtown Center Way in a Neighborhood Business zone, and approved an amendment allowing Davids Fork Baptist Church in Council District 12 to construct a pavilion on its Agricultural Rural zoned property. Both approvals were subject to various conditions and required permits.