DMP250505
Lexington Downtown Master Plan Public
Meeting
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
6:00 p.m.
Third Floor Community Room, Phoenix
Building
101 East Vine Street
Lexington, KY 40507
Attendees
Steering Committee Members: Tracee de Hahn, Phil
Holoubek, Bill Johnston, Tim Kelly, Amy Lett, David Lord, Grant Phelps, Becky
Reinhold, Dan Rowland, Tom Sheeran, Mac Stone, Randall Vaughn, Dr. Retia Scott
Walker, and Bob Wiseman
Consultants: Tom Creasey, Kevin Peterson, Sara Lewis,
and Dhiru Thadani,
Lexington Downtown Development Authority Staff: Harold Tate and Penny Ebel
Other Attendees:
Christel
Blackburn, Sheri Capes, Amy Clark,
Duane Culp, Tim Douglas, Ged Dunn, Dave
Elbon, Jon England, Carol Fening, Jo
Gawthrop, Jim Griggs, Mark Ishmael, Henry
Jackson, Tom Johnson, Michael Karpf, Ellen Karpf, Chris King, Mike Kovash, Keith Lovan, Steven Mazurka, Bernard
McCarthy, Jim McKeighen, Gary
Means, Win Meeker, Beverly Miller, Andrew Moore, Danny Noland, Diane Owens, Van
Meter Pettit, Andre Regard, Joey Rose, and
Harika Suklun
Meeting Summary
I.
Welcome
Meeting
brought to order (Chairman Tim Kelly)
II.
Review of April 13, 2005
minutes (Chairman Tim Kelly)
Motion
for acceptance. Unanimous approval of
minutes.
III.
Downtown Traffic
Analysis Update (Tom Creasey)
Discussion, Question
& Answer:
1.
How many variables are
going to be studied? Still to determine
combinations and staging.
2.
How does this effect
Newtown Pike? Will be added to this
model.
3.
Trying to improve LOS or
“sabotaging” traffic relief? Attempting
to make downtown a better place (eg. one way traffic on Limestone too fast)
4.
Two-way increases
conflicts, seems more dangerous. Many
factors will be considered.
5.
Will scenarios include
Rupp Arena events? No, only those
predictable daily events.
6.
Estimates are made as to
departure and destination points. State
Attorney General disallowed surveys
7.
Transit and pedestrians
are included but bicycles will be a qualitative issue rather than quantitative.
8.
What about development
outside of downtown? Will be thrown in
if known in 2 county regions.
9.
Simulation scenarios
will be done with Master Plan information over the summer, but still to be
defined how many variations.
IV.
Consultant Presentation
(Dhiru Thadani)
1.
Proposed land use change
2.
Proposed land use
guidelines
3.
One-way transforms to
two-way streets
4.
Increase residential
development
5.
Create Parking Authority
6.
Density through design
7.
Celebrate urban
entrances
8.
Invest in a pedestrian
network, core in relationship to pedestrian and vehicular network
9.
Integrate Rupp Arena
into Urban fabric
10.
Vine Street
redevelopment
11.
Amphitheatre
12.
Proposed Community
Center/Museum site
13.
Define Thoroughbred Park
with buildings
14.
New green space at Main,
Vine, Elm Tree Lane & Rose
15.
Incorporate town branch
trail into downtown
16.
Connect downtown to
surrounding region
17.
Promote infill
development in downtown core
Discussion,
Questions & Answers
A.
Shrinking Rose and Vine
Streets? Streets are too wide, conflict
points are good for the pedestrian—slows traffic and makes
drivers pay more attention. Vine Street
is currently 140ft from building to building.
B.
Burying power lines? Love to and maybe can be handled through
impact fees to developers.
C.
Financial modeling as to
how it would happen? No, Core is also
zoned H-1 and planning commission trumps overlay and B.O.A.R. – backwards? Yes, still trying to determine how it will
be implemented only land use will change.
D.
Bicycles in designated
bike lanes? Not necessarily, only in
cross town connection (EW)
E.
Town Branch Trail
Project is “tickled to death” to be included in Master Plan – concern is median
on Vine Street needs to be more usable.
Want park/greenway on one side of the street. Crossing cross streets at corners better for bikes.
V.
Process for
implementation (Harold Tate and Chris King)
No meeting in July. Probably,
August meeting for traffic presentation and September as final presentation.
Discussion, Questions
& Answers
1.
Are slides available on
website? Yes, www.lexingtondda.com. Conceptual ideas only good point, but Vine
Street could also be park/stream on north side.
2.
H-1 zone conflicts? Not being changed at all. Residential mix? Will come into play in next detail round, affordability is
important and will continue after plan is completed.
3.
More residents needed
downtown in order to spur growth and sees hesitancy to modify rules for parking
so encourages highrise? Example of
South Hill (Bill Lear) of 100du/acre
good and want to see more of it.
4.
Richmond Rd. has no
traffic control on cross streets. Not
the same as Vine Street.
5.
Schedule for
implementation? City is starting to
prioritize and generate support/budgets for some items.
6.
Providence RI
redevelopment was spurred by $3 billion in Federal investment and was begun in
the 1970s.
7.
Implementation schedule
needed to help get unified voice for appealing to Feds & State.
The
meeting adjourned at p.m. (Tim Kelly)