A June 22 proposed addition to the Fayette County Zoning Ordinance, one that would allow residential and business use on large-acre residential tracts, was sent back to county planning staff and the Planning Commission for additional work.
The proposal, under the Planned Unit Development (PUD) classification, would create a Planned Residential and Business Development-Planned Unit Development (PRBD-PUD) to address residents wanting to conduct a business on their large-tract residential property.
Above, Fayette County Planning Director Pete Frisina. File photo.
As approved by the Planning Commission, the property would require 75 acres, would preserve existing single-family dwellings and maintain a rural architectural character.
The June 22 presentation came with a public hearing on the matter, though no one in the public had comments.
Commissioner Steve Brown thought the ordinance should specify issues such as the potential need for acceleration or deceleration lanes and Commissioner Randy Ognio thought the proposal should include sufficient buffering so that the business or its vehicles could not be seen from arterial roadways.
Planning Director Pete Frisina in response said those issues, and numerous others, are already incorporated into the PUD zoning requirements, adding that all PUD requests are handled by commissioners on a case-by-case basis.
In reiterating Frisina’s remarks, county attorney Dennis Davenport said, “The biggest difference with PUD is the level of control (by commissioners). It’s a different animal. You apply the PUD the way you want to. The flexibility is built in to the framework.”
“This is the most inflexible PUD I’ve created,” Frisina added.
After much discussion and failed motions, commissioners voted to send the proposal back to planning commissioners.
