Council Annexes 30.22 Acres on Paynes Depot Road, Approves R-2 PUD Zoning After Debate on Density and Infrastructure

Georgetown — The Georgetown City Council voted on Aug. 11 to annex roughly 30.22 acres along Paynes Depot Road (Scott County PVA parcel 140-10-052) into city limits and to rezone the property to R-2 Planned Unit Development (PUD), contingent on the annexation taking effect.

Council passed the annexation ordinance on a 4-3 roll-call vote. A separate ordinance to change the property’s zoning classification from A-1 agricultural to R-2 PUD passed 5-2. Sponsors listed for the annexation and zoning measures were Councilmembers Tammy Leslie Mitchell and Kim Minkie.

The vote followed more than an hour of questions from council members and technical answers from the developer team, planning staff and public-safety chiefs. Developers described a mixed residential plan that includes townhomes and multifamily buildings and said stormwater and public-works standards would be met. City planning staff and the developer’s representatives said the development will include stormwater infrastructure designed to meet Georgetown/Scott County plant commission requirements.

Council members pressed the applicant on traffic and access, noting Payne’s Depot Road is narrow at the proposed site. The developer said plans include a left-turn lane into the property and that a traffic study recommends queuing and turn-lane improvements; final lane and queuing details will be reviewed during the development-plan review and Technical Review Committee process. Planning staff said a preliminary design anticipates meeting minimum width standards and that future development plans will require further TRC review.

The rezoning application also requests several dimensional adjustments tied to the PUD format: reduced lot-width standards for a subset of lots, increased units-per-building for the multifamily portion and provisions to allow attached townhomes with zero-lot lines. Planning staff said many of the three-story buildings shown on the concept plan may not require variances because the zoning code allows increased building height in exchange for larger side-yard setbacks, and because the concept placements are located away from lot lines. Staff also emphasized that each requested modification must be evaluated against KRS 100.243 before any variances are granted.

Public-safety officials addressed emergency response implications. Chief Seth Johnson (Fire Department) said three‑story buildings present additional challenges but that current department resources can respond; he added that as the city’s service area grows, departments may request additional resources. Police and fire review of final construction plans and road geometry will occur through the TRC and site-plan process.

Holden (planning staff) presented maps and a historical annexation chart showing the city has annexed roughly 594 acres since 2022. Council members cited those figures during debate as they weighed the character of future development, housing mix trends and the need to update zoning standards. John Barlow, representing Commonwealth Designs 2, told the council his firm has built locally, donated land and partnered with Georgetown College in past projects.

Council members voiced divergent views. Opponents warned the project increases local density and pointed to the cluster of apartments in recent filings; supporters and planning staff said the R‑2 PUD designation allows flexibility to deliver a mix of housing types and public amenities and that the planning commission recommended approval. Several council members asked staff to pursue zoning-text updates and a work session to clarify future variance and PUD standards.

What this means: The annexation and conditional rezoning clear the way for a developer to submit preliminary and final development plans and apply for any specific variances needed during the PUD review process. Planning staff said the next steps are TRC review and formal development-plan submittal, and that road, stormwater and public-safety details will be finalized at that stage.

Votes and formal actions - Annexation ordinance (Paynes Depot Road, parcel 140-10-052): Motion passed 4-3 (roll call recorded). Motion made by Mister Mink (record shows mover) and seconded by Miss Mitchell; detailed roll-call recorded in minutes. Outcome: approved. - Zoning ordinance (ZM-2025-21: Rezone 30.22 acres to R-2 PUD, contingent on annexation): Motion passed 5-2 (roll call recorded). Motion made by Miss Mitchell and seconded by Miss Brent. Outcome: approved.

Key context and clarifying details - Site area: approximately 30.22 acres (as stated in the ordinance summary). - Parcel: Scott County PVA parcel number 140-10-052. - Development elements mentioned in the transcript: townhomes (15 units across several buildings were discussed), multifamily/apartment buildings up to three stories, on-site stormwater management including water-quality and groundwater recharge measures required by the Georgetown‑Scott County plant commission. - Road improvements discussed: left-turn lane into the proposed development, queuing standards to be met; no new traffic signal was warranted according to the developer and staff during this hearing. - Emergency response: Fire Chief Seth Johnson said existing resources can respond to three‑story buildings but additional growth could prompt resource requests; staff will evaluate response-time impacts as part of TRC.

Authorities referenced in discussion - KRS 81a.412 (annexation by owner consent cited in the ordinance summary as “in accordance with KRS 81 a 4 12” in the hearing transcript) - KRS 100.243 (state standard cited repeatedly during staff remarks as the statutory test for variances)

Speakers (attributed in this article) - Mayor Jenkins (Mayor; presiding officer) - Councilman Michael Crisp (Council member) - Kim Minkie (Council member; ordinance sponsor) - Tammy Leslie Mitchell (Council member; ordinance sponsor) - Mister Hampton (Council member) - Mister Stone (Council member) - Miss Sames (Council member) - Holden (planning staff; presented maps and annexation history) - Ben Krebs (planning and zoning engineer; referenced in traffic/turn-lane discussion) - John Barlow (developer, Commonwealth Designs 2) - Chris Hoskins (counsel for applicant/developer) - Chief Seth Johnson (Fire Department)

Discussion vs. decision - Discussion points: traffic capacity on Payne’s Depot Road, stormwater runoff near a pond and stream, proposed three‑story buildings and lot widths, requested PUD variances, potential impacts on response times and municipal services, historical pace of annexation in Georgetown. - Directions: Planning/staff to continue TRC review and require engineering/traffic/stormwater details with development-plan submittal; councilmembers requested future work sessions on zoning code updates. - Decisions: Council approved the annexation (4-3) and the conditional R‑2 rezoning (5-2).

Provenance evidence (first/last transcript excerpts supporting this article) - {"block_id":"t2829.435","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"An ordinance annexed into the city of Georgetown's certain rural property containing approximately 30.22 plus or minus acres located on Payne's Depot Road...in accordance with KRS 81 a 4 12, approximately 30.22 plus or minus acres located on Paints Depot Road..." ,"reason_code":"topicintro"} - {"block_id":"t5230.67","local_start":0,"local_end":140,"evidence_excerpt":"So, vote of 5 2. The zone change ordinance passes. Let's go now to, item 11, GMWSS..." ,"reason_code":"topicfinish"}

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