Council approves first readings for Vintage 99 Motorcycle Museum plan and related Baptist Church parking with conditions

Jeffersontown City Council on Aug. 19 gave first-reading approval to a revised detailed district development plan for Vintage 99 Motorcycle Museum and to a related plan authorizing use of two Baptist Church parking lots off-site, subject to conditions and a signed parking agreement.

A city planning staff member described the proposal as a revised development plan and waiver to allow required off-site parking more than 1,000 feet from the museum building because Jefferson Street lacks sidewalks; planning staff recommended conditions including a shuttle to move patrons between the remote lots and the site. The applicant's representative, Mr. Ashburner (attorney for the applicant), said the revised plan was intended to clarify permitted event uses and noted several binding elements that had already been implemented on site.

Key conditions approved at first reading included: deletion of binding element 18, which directed a shuttle driver to follow a single prescribed route; amendment of binding element 20 to make it consistent with binding element 17 so that off-site parking would only be required when on-site parking capacity (36 spaces) was exceeded; and a requirement that final approval be contingent on delivery of a signed parking-use agreement and signed binding elements.

Mr. Ashburner argued the shuttle-route restriction was unnecessary and could be impractical because safe routing can vary by time of day; planning staff said the route language was added out of safety concerns at the Taylor'sville Road intersection. Council members debated whether routing directives were an appropriate use of a binding element. "I think there has to be a point at which you let a person who has got a commercial driver's license operate a vehicle," Mr. Ashburner said.

Planning staff said the off-site parking lots have been identified and that the shuttle would be required to use only the two lots listed in the parking-use agreement; the planning staff also recommended small-event exceptions for times when off-site parking was not available. The council moved to approve the first readings with the deletion of binding element 18, the amendment to binding element 20 to match 17, and a condition that final approval be held until the signed parking agreement and binding elements are provided to city staff. The motions were seconded and passed on voice votes.

A separate first-reading resolution to revise the development plan for the Baptist Church parking lots also passed; planning staff said the lots have existed since before 1997, are being formalized in a revised plan, and require waivers for interior landscaping and tree canopy that reflect existing site conditions. The council's action during the meeting was a first reading; final adoption will occur after the council receives the signed documents specified in the motions.