LEXINGTON, KY - Developers of the CentrePointe residential and hotel high-rise project were granted a one year extension to begin construction by the Courthouse Area Design Review Board, the body which oversees exterior building design in a designated area of the downtown - though the board did not appear inclined to do so.
An initial motion to extend permits allowing the building's construction through this date next year died after none of the board's members seconded.
The board, which only had three of its current four members present at the meeting, preferred to see the issue brought up for discussion at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 7, because CentrePointe's current permit is not set to expire until Nov. 10.
The board's governing articles however do not allow reapplications to be tabled, they must be voted up or down within 60 days of application which occurred on June 17th.
Still not comprehending why CentrePointe's developers were seeking an extension so far in advance of their permit's expiration and why it could not wait until the October meeting, CentrePointe's counsel Darby Turner told the Design Review Board: "One of the issues that causes us to move forward at this time is to give assurance to our investor that our project is still doable in Lexington."
Turner said he was hopeful that work toward a permit to allow excavation and later a building permit could begin in earnest within the next 30 to 60 days, though he readily admitted that was the same timeframe his client, Dudley Webb, has been quoting for "quite some period of time."
After reissuing a motion to renew CentrePointe's permits due to concerns that simply working on excavation and building a foundation for the 35 story structure might not satisfy the Design Review Board's requirement to commence construction by the time the current permit expires in November, board chair Mike Meusser voiced discontent toward the action.
"I don't believe this action makes any sense relative to the way this ordinance is drafted," Meusser said. "It's clear that the ordinance contemplates that there is a year period in which to commence work and if work isn't commenced within (that) period they have to reapply. And it just doesn't make any sense to me either that the applicant or that the entity or this board that we reissue these permits at this time."
Despite concerns of the board the permit was extended through July 8 of 2010, with a 2-0 vote. Board member Bill Henkel was nearly inaudible to those in attendance at the meeting with his vote in favor of granting the new permit. As chair, Meusser was only able to vote in the event of a tie which there wasn't as Henkel voted in favor along with the other member in attendance, Anthony Wright.