Council debates proposed winter shelter site at Versailles Road recycling center; motion to remove items from docket fails

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council members heard more than an hour of public comment and staff explanation Tuesday over a proposed seasonal winter shelter on city property at the former furrow site on Versailles Road, including disagreements about whether the facility's entrance should use Nancy Hanks Way or Versailles Road.

The council was told the emergency shelter would operate from Nov. 1 to April 1 as a turnkey program run by a single vendor providing all services. Commissioner Lanter, the administration's lead on the proposal, said the site selection followed a search of more than 30 locations and that the Nancy Hanks Way route was chosen initially because "if we're in the back, the Nancy Hanks Way exit is literally feet away." Lanter added, "There is no perfect location for an operation such as this."

The proposal prompted public comment from nearby residents and property owners who said the Nancy Hanks entrance would force people to walk through residential areas with inadequate sidewalks and create safety risks. Peggy Henson, who identified herself as from the 11th District, told council members the area "is within walking distance to two schools run by LFUCG" and said sidewalks on the corridor were inadequate for people walking to the site. Richard Maloney, also from the 11th District, said residents in the area include people who use wheelchairs and that he has repeatedly observed people in wheelchairs forced to use travel lanes because of missing or obstructed sidewalks.

Carson Bauffman, representing Cowgill, which owns the nearby Red Mile apartment community, said Nancy Hanks connects through the middle of his complex and that "there are no pedestrian facilities whatsoever" on Red Mile, creating a safety concern if shelter clients were to access the site from that direction. He urged council to make approval contingent on access from Versailles Road instead. Rick Chrisman, speaking for Employment Solutions, urged the city to consider a commercial site on Center Parkway his organization offered, saying it had space and on-site behavioral-health resources.

The administration described tradeoffs between the two entrance options. Lanter said Versailles Road would require running a fence the full length of the property (about "600 plus feet" in his estimate), create a longer, harder-to-control ingress route and risk blocking access to a permanently bolted tornado shelter on site. He said Versailles Road would also make it harder to control entry because the access point is further from the shelter footprint and would expose people walking to adjacent parking- and drive-through traffic. Lanter said the Nancy Hanks access posed its own impacts on neighbors and that the administration was studying mitigations for either option.

Council members raised several questions about safety and timing. Council member Sheehan warned that delaying council action could prevent the city from opening any winter shelter by Nov. 1. Commissioner Lanter confirmed the schedule: not moving the item forward would delay approval of any winter shelter and could jeopardize the Nov. 1 opening.

Council member Reynolds moved to remove items U and V (the shelter-related items) from the docket for Thursday; Council member Ellinger seconded. The motion drew extended debate from council members representing districts near the site and from those urging the city to move forward. After discussion the motion to remove the items failed, leaving the items on the docket for upcoming readings and votes.

The council also discussed funding for winter shelter operations during the meeting. Council member Ellinger referenced a journal entry (noted in the meeting packet) related to housing and homelessness and an $800,000 figure. The CAO's office said some funds being used are interest earned on federal COVID-era grants (ARPA and ERAP) and that the ERAP interest account would have "just a little bit over $20,000 left after this" proposed use to help shore up winter-sheltering needs.

The administration described planned risk-management and security measures if the shelter proceeds, including 24/7 security, cameras covering the property ("every square inch of the property that is not a bathroom stall," per Lanter) and contractual requirements for a single vendor to provide on-site services. The administration also said it was reviewing design and fencing options, working with risk management, and awaiting final pricing and risk-management feedback before a final entrance decision.

Council members and public speakers urged additional steps if the shelter uses Nancy Hanks: improved pedestrian facilities on Red Mile and Nancy Hanks, a commitment from the city to assume mitigation costs on city property rather than placing the burden on neighbors, and clear plans for post-operation impacts if services at the site end. Multiple speakers also asked for clarity on which nonprofit would operate the site and what services would be available there; the administration said a single vendor model was planned but had not named a final operator during the work session.

The matter remains scheduled for council action in the coming weeks. Council members said they would continue to seek design and risk-management information and to explore whether alternate sites (including Employment Solutions' Center Parkway and other privately offered locations) could be rapidly vetted before final votes.