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Commission votes to classify small event venues as conditional use across most zones
Summary
The commission voted to add a 'social assembly' classification and make wedding/small event venues a conditional use in most zones — excluding industrial zones and some special districts — allowing applicants to seek conditional‑use review and plan approval.
The Richmond City Planning & Zoning Commission voted to create or recognize a 'social assembly' use (to cover small wedding venues, retirement parties, reunions and similar low‑density events) and to list it as a conditional use in most zoning districts, excluding industrial zones and certain planning districts. Commissioners and staff debated where such a use should appear in the land‑use chart and whether permitting it broadly would create 'placeholders' that could unintentionally allow other uses.
Planning staff explained that the Kentucky building code and the city’s parking standards treat assembly spaces differently (often calculating parking by occupancy), and that staff would need a clear definition in the development ordinance before applications could be processed. Several commissioners supported allowing 'social assembly' as a conditional use across residential and commercial zones so owners can bring project plans forward; others warned about spot zoning and said conditional use rules and lot‑size/parking limits should prevent incompatible outcomes.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to make social assembly a conditional use in all zones except industrial (I‑1, I‑2), MP and PUDs; the motion passed with majorities recorded. The commission directed staff to draft the exact ordinance language, select appropriate zones on the land‑use chart, and advance any changes to the city commission for formal adoption.
