LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Planning Commission's Zoning Committee approved a zone change on July 2 that will allow Plumbers and Steamfitters Local No. 452 to establish a training facility at its former headquarters location on Harrodsburg Road, according to meeting records.

The committee voted to rezone approximately 4.9 acres at 1770 and 1800 Harrodsburg Road from Single-Family Residential to Corridor Business. The Fayette County Board of Education approved the sale of the former Southside Technical Center building to the union for $5.5 million in April 2026.

Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC Techs Local 452 is a union of licensed and certified professionals providing plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC/R services in Lexington and Central Kentucky since 1903. The training facility will offer classes in plumbing, HVAC, and pipefitting, with instruction scheduled for Monday through Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. The union plans to add bicycle parking and encourage students to carpool to reduce traffic impact.

The committee also took action on two significant zoning ordinance text amendments. Commissioners approved modified language for solar energy systems, returning intermediate-scale solar installations to conditional use permit status rather than allowing them as permitted uses in agricultural zones. The Planning Commission later voted unanimously to prohibit large and intermediate scale solar energy development in agricultural zones, marking a shift from earlier Council proposals that would have permitted such development.

The committee postponed action on two other text amendments: one addressing attended donation center regulations and another creating new rules for data center uses. Public comments raised concerns about the potential for warehousing without retail components and the need to balance data center development with local economic interests.

The next Zoning Committee meeting is scheduled for August 6.