Special Call Meeting of the Richmond City Commission - January 29, 2026

The Richmond City Commission convened for a special call meeting to replace the regular meeting scheduled for the previous Tuesday, which was disrupted by severe weather. The session featured community presentations on food security and human trafficking awareness, followed by six first-reading zoning ordinances and several administrative orders regarding hiring, resignations, and budgetary matches. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to heated public testimony regarding a proposed multifamily development in the Highland View neighborhood.

Consent Calendar

• Routine approvals and unanimous actions were not explicitly itemized in the transcript as a separate block; however, the minutes for the December 18, December 2025, and January 13, and January 15 meetings were unanimously approved by a roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jason Knuckles (Highland View Resident): Expressed full opposition to the multifamily rezoning proposal at Tract 3, Spring House Apartments. Argued that the change constitutes illegal "spot zoning" under Kentucky case law, citing lack of public necessity, potential traffic overcrowding on a narrow dead-end street, and the violation of property owners' reasonable investment-backed expectations.
• Veronica Holman (Overland Drive Resident): Stated she is “all for affordable housing” but expressed opposition to the “apear of the apartment building” next to her property. She argued that an apartment building adjacent to her three-acre retirement property is not a “great use of the property” compared to single-family development.
• Keita Kelmes (Highland View Resident): Expressed strong opposition to the 16-unit complex entering via a dead-end street. Argued that the street is not designed for the resulting doubling of traffic, citing parking inadequacies (32 parking spaces for 16 units) and the “spot zoning” that undermines neighborhood character.
• Terry Connors (Highland View Resident): Expressed concern regarding the loss of privacy and noise for long-term residents. Stated support for development generally but “asks [the commission] to please keep this as a dead-end street.”
• Mike Eves (Representing Springhouse Land, the Developer): Expressed support for the developer’s position, stating the request is a “reduction in intensity” from the current B3 zoning and is necessary due to transportation cabinet restrictions preventing access from the bypass.
• Walter Connor (Highland View Resident): Expressed skepticism regarding the developer's claims about an alternative exit and argued that the zoning plan was approved without proper community understanding, noting that traffic concerns were “not right.”
• Shirley Barnes (Highland View Resident): Expressed that residents were “not given notice" of the proposal and only learned of it via a sign at the end of the street, questioning the validity of the process due to lack of direct notification.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 26-01 (Spring House Apartments/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change from B3 (Highway Business) to R1B (Single Family) and R3 (Multifamily) for 2.87 acres near Robert R. Martin Bypass.
  • Commissioner Newby: Expressed opposition, stating the development “takes a dump on the people that are already there.” Noted that the street is effectively one lane and emergency vehicles struggle to pass.
  • Commissioner Brewer: Expressed uncertainty and opposition to the 16-unit complex in that neighborhood. Stated, “I can't see this being a positive thing for that community.” Requested more information regarding the number of entrances/exits and parking before voting.
  • Outcome: No vote taken. The item was postponed to the February 10 meeting for further deliberation.

• Ordinance 26-02 (219 Moberley Avenue/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change from R1C to B2 (Central Business District) for a business incubator.
  • Commissioner Brewer: Expressed concern regarding parking availability for a business that implies training and startups. Requested written confirmation on parking stipulations before the next vote.
  • Outcome: No vote taken. The item was postponed to the February 10 meeting.

• Ordinance 26-03 (Baker Court/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change for 13 properties from R2 to R1 (Single Family) to align with existing single-family use and prevent future duplex rentals.
  • City Attorney: Clarified the change was initiated by the residents themselves to prevent properties from turning into duplexes.
  • Commissioner Cole: Expressed support, noting this was a grassroots effort by residents to preserve their neighborhood character.

• Ordinance 26-04 (614 Oldham Avenue/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change from R3 to R1 (Single Family).
  • Commissioner Cole: Expressed that the change is necessary for uniformity, noting the property is surrounded by R1 homes.
  • Discussion: Commissioners suggested surveying other property owners on the same side of the street to potentially rezone them collectively to R1 in the future.

• Ordinance 26-05 (1212 West Main Street/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change from P1 to B3 (Highway Business) to align with historical use (Richmond Register).
  • Commissioner Cole: Expressed support, noting the property has a parking lot and the change aligns with its historical operations.

• Ordinance 26-06 (1180 Berea Road/Zoning Change):

  • Item: Proposed change from B3 to I2 (Heavy Industry) for Qualex Machining expansion.
  • Commissioner Cole: Expressed support, highlighting the business's positive impact (manufacturing water treatment systems) and the addition of jobs.

• Ordinance 26-07 (1055 Berea Road/Annexation):

  • Item: Motion to annex property into city limits.
  • Commissioner Newby: Expressed support for the “housekeeping matter.”

• Administrative Orders:

  • Order 26-08: Adopted new/updated job descriptions for the Tourism Department (Social Media Manager, Office Manager, Executive Director) and Industrial Development Coordinator.
  • Order 26-09: Accepted the resignation of Brett Congleton (Firefighter 3) to pursue home building.
  • Order 26-10: Hired Brad Soudon as Industrial Development Director (Pay Grade 7).
  • Order 26-11 & 26-12: Appointed and reappointed members to the Housing Authority and Section 8 Housing Boards.
  • Order 26-13: Accepted the resignation of Billy Brown (Equipment Operator 1).
  • Order 26-14: Hired Tristan Steinmetz as Equipment Operator 1.
  • Order 26-15: Promoted Matthew Frost to Firefighter 2.
  • Order 26-16: Authorized the City to serve as the grantee and provide the 50% local match ($249,000) for the KPDI grant for the Richmond Industrial Park South 4 project.

Key Outcomes

• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned unanimously.
• Postponed Zoning Votes: Ordinance 26-01 (Spring House Apartments) and Ordinance 26-02 (219 Moberley Avenue) were delayed to the February 10 meeting pending further discussion and information.
• Approved Orders: Orders 26-08 through 26-16 were unanimously approved by motion and vote.
• General Appreciation: The Commission unanimously expressed gratitude to the Public Safety and Public Works departments for their work during the recent severe ice storm.
• Public Safety Statement: Mayor Blythe thanked the departments for their “terrible” work conditions during the ice and acknowledged the inconvenience caused to residents but praised the efficiency of the response team.