Wawa, housing development along major Lexington road goes before planning group for vote

The Lexington Fayette Urban County Planning Commission gave initial approval Thursday for a new development that includes a Wawa, apartments, town houses and a restaurant off of Athens Boonesboro Road.

The Urban County Planning Commission voted 8-2 for a zone change from an agricultural rural zone to a community center zone for approximately 8 acres at 4075 Old Richmond Road, across from Jacobson Park.

Richmond Road becomes Athens Boonesboro Road at the intersection of Old Richmond Road.

The zone change was approved despite widespread opposition from neighbors. More than 100 people opposed the new development. Extra seating was set up in other parts of the city government center Thursday because not all who opposed the zone change could fit in the council chamber.

The zone change will now go to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council for a final decision. The council can reverse or accept the planning commission’s recommendation.

Anderson Communities has proposed building town houses and four-story tall apartment buildings on the property for a total of 139 living units. The property, which also fronts Athens Boonesboro Road, would have a convenience store and gas station on the Athens Boonesboro Road side as well as a restaurant. The plans call for 184 parking spaces.

Wawa currently has no Kentucky locations but will build “a full network of stores” in coming years, said Lisa Corpus, a Wawa representative.

Wawa, which was started in Wawa, Pennsylvania, is known for its food and coffee, selling more coffee per day than Starbucks, Corpus said. Hoagies and sub sandwiches are top sellers, Corpus said.

A Wawa has been approved in southern Jessamine County. Another store has been approved in Louisville.

A restaurant for the development was not disclosed Thursday.

The apartments would be located toward the center and back of the property, said Dick Murphy, a lawyer for Anderson Communities.

Murphy said the 2018 Comprehensive Plan recommends more dense developments along major corridors. The roughly 8 acres is in the expansion area, which was part of the more than 5,000 acres added to the urban service boundary in 1996. The community center zone in the expansion area allows for a mix of commercial and residential development, Murphy said.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which oversees Athens Boonesboro Road, is proposing putting an “R” cut at the intersection of Athens Boonesboro Road and Aphids Way.

The R-cuts are designed for right-turn only, city engineers said. People leaving Aphids Way will only be able to turn right toward the interstate. A signaled intersection not far from the Aphids Way R-cut will allow people to make a U-turn back to town.

The same will be true for people leaving Hays Boulevard onto Athens Boonesboro Road.

There will be two entrances into the Anderson development from Aphids Way, Murphy said.

The R-cuts are designed to avoid collisions at major intersections. In some areas, they have decreased crashes by as much as 84%, city engineers said during Thursday’s meeting.

Murphy said the R-cuts could be implemented either by late fall or early spring, depending on when state highway engineers secure rights to property needed to redesign Aphids Way.

A fight over land use maps

Bruce Simpson, a lawyer who represents members of the Old Richmond Road and Ellerslie neighborhoods, said an expansion area master plan developed in 1996 clearly shows that area should be low-density housing — or roughly three houses per acre.

Simpson argued the city must follow that master plan since it’s never been updated, even though the 2018 Comprehensive Plan calls for more dense development.

“This is a flagrant violation of the expansion area master plan,” Simpson said of Anderson Communities’ proposal. “You are under obligation to honor the plans that have not changed in 27 years.”

Others who oppose the development told the planning commission the apartment buildings were too tall and would change the character of the neighborhood.

Some neighbors also worried about additional traffic on sections of Old Richmond Road and Jacks Creek Pike. There are many farms in that area, including horse farms.

Fayette County Judge Executive Mary Diane Hanna, who is also president of the Old Richmond Road neighborhood association, said people in the rural areas of Fayette County have long felt left out of major planning and city decisions.

“We don’t want this,” Hanna said. “Help us preserve our rural way of life.”

A tough decision

Murphy argued the city has made multiple changes to the recommendations in the expansion area master plan over the past 27 years. Some of those changes have resulted in the building of a new Baptist Health campus, a Costco and Cabela’s on Polo Club Boulevard in the expansion area.

Moreover, there have been changes to the area -- including the new R cut proposed on Athens Boonesboro Road, Murphy said.

Many planning commission members said they were going to vote in favor of the zone change but still had reservations.

“One of things that defines Lexington is our rolling hills and our soils,” said Robin Michler, a planning commission member. “It hurts to see it leveled.”

Yet, the development is along a major corridor. It’s providing much-needed rental units in an area that needs more housing options, Michler and others said.

Planning commission members Mike Owens and Janice Meyer voted against the zone change.

Owens said he did not like the four-story apartment buildings. The buildings were too tall and it was too much density for that area.

Meyer said the development was not the right fit for the area.