Richmond adds "social assembly" conditional uses; commissioners urge caution on wedding venues and shooting-range placement

The Richmond City Board of Commissioners on Sept. 23 adopted Ordinance 25-24 to amend the city's zoning and development ordinance. The adopted changes list "social assembly" as a conditional use in multiple residential and business zones and allow indoor shooting ranges as a conditional use in AG, B-3, I-1 and I-2 zones.

Commissioner Goebel raised concerns about wedding venues and other large social gatherings in older residential neighborhoods. "I just... would like to encourage us as a city to closely monitor where we approve those wedding venues to be at in residential developments," Goebel said during the second-reading discussion, citing parking shortages and the practical difficulty residents already face when on-street parking fills. Goebel asked staff and the Board of Adjustments to consider stricter oversight of parking and neighborhood impacts when reviewing conditional-use applications.

Commissioner Cole also asked for clarity about the shooting-range language. "When I think of a shooting range, I think of DOCJT on the EKU campus... So we're gonna be able to have shooting ranges within the city of Richmond outside the core. So I guess, if we could just clarify what that means outside the core," Cole said. The city manager and staff clarified at the meeting that the ordinance refers to indoor shooting ranges and that areas designated B-3 and I-1 (and I-2) are outside the downtown core; conditional-use review through the Board of Adjustments will require applicants to demonstrate compliance with parking requirements and applicable state building codes.

City staff noted additional protections: as conditional uses both social-assembly venues and shooting ranges must appear before the Board of Adjustments for site- and use-specific review, including demonstration of parking capacity and, for ranges, compliance with state building code and safety guidelines. "They're conditional use. So if somebody comes to the city and wants to do a shooting range or a social assembly, they've gotta go in front of the board of adjustments. Mhmm. And they'll have to show that they can meet parking requirements and the guidelines by the state for the shooting," the city manager said.

The ordinance change passed on second reading by unanimous roll call. Commissioner Cole asked the commission to remain ready to revisit approvals if conditional uses prove problematic in established neighborhoods. "If we determine down the road that the granting of the permission to do some of these events is just not working, You know, that there would be action that we then would take accordingly," Cole said.

The ordinance becomes effective upon publication as required by Kentucky law. Planning & Zoning staff will update the official map and provide guidance for conditional-use reviews; the commission directed staff to return with monitoring procedures and suggested criteria for the Board of Adjustments to use when evaluating applications that could affect residential neighborhoods.