Zoning board disapproves variance request for Georgetown Road property

The Lexington-Fayette County Zoning Board of Adjustment on March 2026 rejected a request to reduce the one-mile spacing requirement for unhosted short-term rentals and to approve a conditional-use permit for a property at 4421 Georgetown Road.

Planning staff member Dalton Belcher told the board staff recommended disapproval of PLNBOA26-1, concluding the applicant had not shown the special circumstances or undue hardship required under Article 7 of the Zoning Ordinance and KRS 100.243. Belcher said the requested reduction—from a 1-mile buffer (5,280 feet) to about 2,580 feet—would “allow for an unreasonable circumvention of the requirements of the zoning ordinance.”

An applicant who spoke to the board described buying the house at auction, noted the property’s proximity to the horse park and said the use was intended to be limited and professionally managed while the owners are out of the country. The applicant said the dwelling had been rented to visiting horse-show participants and that the owners are older with limited income.

After discussion, a board member moved to agree with staff and deny the variance and conditional-use permit; the motion was seconded and the board disapproved the application. The board’s action means the applicant may pursue a 30‑day rental option that does not require a conditional-use permit, or pursue other remedies outside this proceeding.

The hearing record cites KRS 100.243 and local zoning Article 7 as the primary legal standards for the variance analysis. The board indicated its decision rested on the ordinance’s spacing objective and the lack of demonstrated special circumstances.