Planning Committee - Regular Meeting

Get started in 30 seconds. Welcome to the regularly scheduled meeting of the Planning and Zoning Committee. It is Tuesday, September 1st, and it is 103 p.m. I am the chair of the committee, Andrew Owen. Oh, we are. I'm joined by my vice chair, Scott Reed, online. I'm joined by Josie Raymond virtually. joined by Councilman Batchan, Councilman Hudson, Councilwoman Rui, and Councilman Benson in chambers. I'm assuming that Councilwoman Shemeika Parish-Wright will join us shortly. Okay, so we're holding a couple of items today. Item number one is gonna be held Item 2 is also going to be held. Item 3, O-241-26. Hold on. Let me step back and say this meeting is being held pursuant to KRS 61.826 and Council Rule 5A. That makes us official with our virtual attendees. Item number three, O-241-26, an ordinance relating to the closure of the portion of East Jacob Street between Southbrook Street and South 1st Street containing approximately .261 acres and being in Louisville Metro, case number 26, street closure 0008. Can I get a motion? So moved. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Julia.

Julia Williams, Office of Planning. This is 26th Street, closure 0008, East Jacob Street. So this is for closure of East Jacob Street between South Brook Street and South First Street in Council District 4. This is an aerial view of the proposed area to be closed. The zoning map. the request is a closure of a public right-of-way they're proposing to close approximately 190 feet of right-of-way on east jacob street between south brook and south first street the closure is being requested for the i-65 central corridor project to facilitate construction of improvements so this is the subject area this is the street closure plat The Development Review Committee held their meeting on June 17th, 2026. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on July 30th, 2026, where there was a motion to recommend approval of the street closure passing by a vote of eight to zero. Are there any questions?

This is probably not a very bright question, but does this street closure carry with it a certain timeframe, or is it a permanent street closure, and if we want to reopen it, we go back through the same process? What does that look like exactly?

So it's my understanding that this is a permanent street closure. The Kentucky Department of Transportation wants to fill in the entire area so it'll be more like an embankment rather than having an underpass. So I can only assume that that's permanent.

Okay, that's very, that's good. I want to make sure that that's on the record. So Councilman Herndon reached out and said he was supportive of this and this is in his district. Anybody else have, Councilman Benson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Did they tell why they wanted to, other than save money? I guess they're just trying to save money. If we do that all the way along, we could go to Indiana and come back and go on the other side of the expressway. I'm being sarcastic a little bit. We don't have that many openings. When you've got an interstate that you're going through the community, it seems like all the ones we have, I mean, I've been through that a lot of times. I mean, I don't know how you get over to Brook Street or how you... I mean, I guess you can go four or five blocks maybe, and maybe there's an opening someplace. I mean, I just wondered, is it because of money, or is it for safety, or what are they trying to do here? Well, I mean, well, then fix it. We fixed some other bridges. It seems like, but I don't, is there an explanation why?

It's my understanding it's for safety because of that. I guess the Brook Street exit's pretty close by. And then you've got people either coming off the interstate very close or it's really close to that Brook Street intersection. And it's my understanding it's just for safety purposes to close that up.

I know it's been there 65 years, maybe. Okay, thank you.

I think to Councilman Benson's point, I think I'd be concerned if we were doing this all along that corridor, because as much as an interstate makes it difficult to cross, having as many openings as possible, but seems fairly isolated in this case. doesn't bring me too much concern. Again, if we were doing a bunch of these, I think I would certainly have an issue. Anyone else have questions or concerns about this before we open up? This is a, yes, it is an ordinance. Cheryl, you open up the roll call, though, please.

Votes open. Vice Chair Reid?

Yes.

Council Member Ramlin? Yes. Voting's closing. Chair, you have six yes votes and one no vote.

So this will go to Old Business on the next council agenda. Next item on the agenda is item number four, O-242-26, an ordinance relating to the closure of the portion of East St. Catherine Street between Logan Street and Steve Magre Alley containing approximately 9,000 square feet and being in Louisville Metro, case number 26, street closure 0012. Can I get a motion? Motion. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Julia.

Yes, this is 26th Street, closure 0012, East St. Catherine. so this is located at east saint catherine street between logan street and steve magre alley it's in council district 6. this is the aerial view of the of the portion of the right-of-way to be closed the zoning map the request is a closure of public right-of-way The applicant is proposing to use their resulting property for outdoor dining, community markets, and outdoor family-friendly events. So this is the subject property from Logan Street. You can see in the rear, that's where Steve Magre Alley is located, as well as the railroad. So here's Steve Magre Alley and then the blockage for the railroad. This is the applicant's plat for the closure. The Development Review Committee held their meeting on August 5th, 2026. The Planning Commission held the consent agenda on August 6th, 2026, where there was a motion to recommend approval of the street closure, passing by a vote of seven to zero. Are there any questions?

Thank you, Julia. So this is already, the crossing's already been closed with the, whatever, the guardrail. So we're just doing a legal closure of the street. And then what will, if that part of the street is closed, will there be a guardrail then on the other side of the alley then to keep people from accessing the backside from the alley with a car, for example? Do we know that?

I don't know what the plans are for that. They did not close Steve Magre Alley, which is still a right-of-way.

That's why I was asking, because if you can still drive along Steve Magre Alley, if there's nothing to prevent somebody from turning onto this part of St. Catherine coming the other way, it might present a little bit of an issue. but there was nothing in their plan or in their design that, I mean, listen, I'm sure they're aware. I'm sure they wouldn't be putting outdoor dining and other things in a place where they're expecting people to be driving through, but I just wanted to call attention to that. Anybody else have questions or concerns about this one?

Mr. Chairman?

Yes, ma'am.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has let former District 10 Councilman Steve Magre know that something is afoot when we have a street named after a living person. I don't know if we've got a protocol or not. Just wondering if Steve Magre knows.

Well, we're not closing his alley. No, I know. We're just closing one access point.

If I had a street, I'd want to know if something was cooking.

perhaps i i will leave i will see do you are you are you uh offering your services for notification purposes i'm gonna let steve mugray know what's going on with his alley perfect thank you councilwoman raymond anybody else questions or concerns all right uh cheryl open up the roll call vote please voting's open vice chair reed yes

Council Member Raymond? Yes. Thank you. Vote is closing. Chair, you have seven yes votes.

This can go to consent, right?

This will go to the consent calendar on the next council agenda. That's all we have. Anybody else have anything else we need to discuss for the good of the committee? All right. With no further items in front of us, we are adjourned. Thank you.