Lexington zoning panel to take up more permissive manufactured housing rules, major rezonings

September 2, 2025

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Agenda summary

The Zoning Committee will meet on September 4, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Building’s 3rd Floor Conference Room. The agenda includes three new zoning map amendments, one postponed zoning case, and a text amendment to manufactured housing regulations.

PLN-MAR-25-00012 (Gibson, Taylor, Thompson) — Amendment to the Montclair Neighborhood Design Overlay zone to increase maximum building depth from 55 feet to 82 feet at 1234 Scoville Road.
PLN-MAR-25-00013 (Scotty Baesler) / Canebrake Subdivision, Unit 1 — Zone map amendment from Agricultural-Rural to Medium Density and Light Industrial zones for 65.69 net acres (73.72 gross) at properties on Canebrake Drive.
PLN-MAR-25-00014 (CS Acquisition Vehicle, LLC) / Lyndhurst Subdivision, Block C (The Hub on East Maxwell) — Zone map amendment from Medium Density to Downtown Frame Business zone for 2.003 net acres (2.716 gross) at Maxwell Street and Kalmia Avenue.
PLN-MAR-25-00010 (War Admiral Place, LLC) / Hamburg Place — Postponed case to modify conditional zoning restrictions within a Commercial Center zone for 56.27 net acres (71.45 gross) on Grey Lag Way, Elkhorn Road, and War Admiral Way.
PLN-ZOTA-25-00007 — Text amendment to update manufactured housing regulations in compliance with House Bill 160.

The next Zoning Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A state-mandated rewrite of Lexington’s rules on manufactured homes headlines the Urban County Planning Commission’s Zoning Committee meeting Thursday, setting up what could be a significant shift in how the city handles affordable housing.

Commissioners will review a zoning ordinance text amendment that updates local definitions and standards for manufactured housing to comply with House Bill 160, a law passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. The measure, which takes effect in 2026, prohibits cities from excluding “qualified manufactured homes” from residential zones where single-family houses are allowed.

HB 160, which takes effect in 2026, prohibits cities from excluding “qualified manufactured homes” from residential zones where single-family houses are allowed.

Qualified manufactured homes must be relatively new, at least 20 feet wide or two stories tall, have 900 square feet of living space, and be permanently affixed to a foundation with the front door oriented toward the street. Local governments may still impose compatibility standards — such as roof pitch, siding materials and setbacks — but they cannot be stricter than rules for site-built homes.

If adopted, Lexington’s revised ordinance would also clarify rules for mobile home parks and distinguish between “qualified” and “non-qualified” manufactured homes. Advocates say the changes could open the door for more affordable housing options, while opponents may raise concerns about neighborhood character and property values.

The committee will also weigh several major rezoning cases:

Canebrake Drive: Developer and former congressman Scotty Baesler is seeking to rezone about 65 acres from agricultural use to a mix of medium-density residential and light industrial. A related development plan calls for the first phase of the Canebrake Subdivision.
East Maxwell/Kalmia Avenue: CS Acquisition Vehicle, LLC proposes converting roughly 2 acres from medium-density residential to a Downtown Frame Business zone for a project dubbed “The Hub on East Maxwell.”
Montclair neighborhood: A petition would extend the allowable building depth in the ND-1 overlay zone from 55 to 82 feet at a property on Scoville Road.