Lexington City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 12

COMMERCIAL CENTER B-6P ZONE

Sec. 12-1. - Intent.

The intent of the Commercial Center (B-6P) zone is to create centers of activity that promote commerce and retail along major corridors within the community, while supporting existing residential neighborhoods and incorporating new residential opportunities in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The standards contained in this provision are intended to:

(a) Improve the economic base and tax structure of the Lexington metropolitan area by:

(1) Creating a variety of employment, retail, and commerce opportunities, and improving access to these opportunities;

(2) Increasing the supply and mixture of housing types available throughout Lexington, thereby improving overall housing affordability;

(3) Protecting and enhancing the investments of existing B-6P developments by providing redevelopment opportunities that unlock additional potential to better utilize existing zoned land.

(b) Create a sense of place, with experiences and community minded development rather than the over-parked, underutilized suburban model shopping centers of times past by:

(1) Creating strongly defined street edges through orienting buildings to roadways, both internal and external;

(2) Ensuring that intensive operations, such as loading areas, do not adversely impact or effectively wall off existing neighborhoods;

(3) Reducing the impact of parking on land use consumption and walkability by:

(i) Encouraging shared parking across complementary professional office and retail uses;

(ii) Reducing overall parking.

(1) Providing walkable developments that function well internally;

(2) Creating a well-connected external pedestrian network to adjacent neighborhoods and developments;

(3) Providing accessible mass transit facilities that easily connect people to internal destinations;

(4) Increasing residential density along major corridors, improving mass transit efficiency;

(5) Connecting roadways to provide efficient and direct access for motorists and emergency services.

(Code 1983, § 12-1; Ord. No. 263-83 , § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 147-2000 , § 1, 6-1-2000; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-1), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-1), 2-8-2018)

Sec. 12-2. - Types of shopping centers.

The types of commercial centers provided for in this section may be generally described as follows:

(a) A community commercial center provides not only convenience goods, but a range of facilities for the sale of "shopping goods" such as apparel and home furnishings, as well as banking, professional services, residential units, and recreation. A community commercial center shall have a minimum area of ten (10) acres.

(b) A regional commercial center generally provides more and larger facilities than the community commercial center. A regional shopping center shall have a minimum area of thirty (30) acres.

(c) Sites consisting of ten (10) acres or less shall utilize the Neighborhood Business (B-1) or another Mixed use Zone. Existing sites of less than ten (10) acres shall be regulated as a community commercial center.

(Code 1983, § 12-2; Ord. No. 263-83 , § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-2), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-2), 2-8-2018)

Sec. 12-3. - Principal permitted uses.

The principal permitted uses in a B-6P zone shall be as follows:

(a) The principal permitted uses in the B-1 and P-1 zones.

(b) Indoor theaters.

(d) Offices of veterinarians, animal hospital or clinic, provided all exterior walls are completely soundproofed and all animal pens are completely within the principal building and used only for the medical treatment of small animals.

(e) Self-service car wash, provided that such uses shall be located at least one hundred (100) feet from any residential zone; and that surface water from such establishment shall not drain onto adjacent property, and that adequate on-site storage lanes and parking facilities shall be provided so that no public way shall be used for such purposes.

(f) Multifamily dwellings.

(g) Eating and drinking establishments, brew-pubs, nightclubs, and discotheques offering live entertainment and/or dancing, unless otherwise prohibited. Such uses shall be located at least one hundred (100) feet from any residential zone and shall be soundproofed to the maximum extent feasible by using existing technology, with noise emissions not creating a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood.

(h) Hotels, extended-stay hotels, and motels. Such uses shall only be permitted within a commercial center zone with a minimum of ten (10) acres.

(i) Automobile service stations, subject to the conditions of Article 16, provided that they meet the following criteria:

1. There shall be no outdoor amplified audio, except where required by federal or state regulations.

2. There shall be no greater than sixteen (16) vehicle locations for refueling.

3. Fueling pump canopy shall not be utilized to meet the maximum front yard.

(Code 1983, § 12-3; Ord. No. 263-83, § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 30-95, § 1, 2-9-1995; Ord. No. 147-2000, § 1, 6-1-2000; Ord. No. 203-2004, § 1, 8-26-2004; Ord. No. 129-2009, § 24, 7-2-2009; Ord. No. 155-2013, § 3, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017, § 6(12-3), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018, § 1(12-3), 2-8-2018; Ord. No. 85-2018, § 1, 11-1-2018; Ord. No. 074-2023, § 17, 7-11-2023; Ord. No. 063-2024, § 11, 6-27-2024)

Sec. 12-4. - Accessory uses.

The accessory uses permitted in a B-6P zone shall be as follows:

(a) The accessory uses in the B-1 and P-1 zones.

(b) Drive-through facilities for the sale of goods or products or the provision of services otherwise permitted herein, when approved by the Planning Commission on a development plan.

(Code 1983, § 12-4; Ord. No. 155-2013 , § 3, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-4), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-4), 2-8-2018)

Editor's note(s)—Ord. No. 155-2013 , § 3, adopted Dec. 10, 2013, renumbered the former §§ 12-4—12-9 as §§ 12-5—12-10 and enacted a new § 12-4 as set out herein. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes.

Sec. 12-5. - Conditional uses.

Shall be as follows:

(a) Restaurants, cocktail lounges, brew-pubs, nightclubs, and discotheques offering live entertainment and/or dancing, less than one hundred (100) feet from any residential zone. Such uses shall be soundproofed to the maximum extent feasible by using existing technology, with noise emissions not creating a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood.

(b) Recycling drop-off centers for aluminum, steel, glass, newspapers, cardboard and other paper products, oil and other household recyclable waste, provided that such establishment shall be located at least two hundred (200) feet from any residential zone. Any appeal for a conditional use permit to operate a recycling drop-off center shall include as part of the application:

(1) Reasons for the location of the use at a specific site; description of equipment to be used; physical arrangement; and operation of the proposed center. The Board of Adjustment shall consider the necessity of screening, if needed.

(c) Mining of non-metallic minerals, but only when the proposal complies with the requirements of the Mining/Quarrying Ordinance (Code of Ordinances #252-91) and the conditions and requirements as set forth therein. The Board of Adjustment shall specifically consider and be able to find:

(1) That the proposed use will not constitute a public nuisance by creating excessive noise, odor, traffic, dust, or damage to the environment or surrounding properties;

(2) That a reasonable degree of reclamation and proper drainage control is feasible; and

(3) That the owner and/or applicant has not had a permit revoked or bond or other security forfeited for failure to comply with any federal, state or local laws, regulations or conditions, including land reclamation, pertaining to the proposed use.

(d) Rehabilitation homes, when located closer than five hundred (500) feet from a residential zone; school for academic instruction or a childcare center.

(e) Automobile and vehicle refueling stations, provided such uses conform to all requirements of Article 16.

(f) Drive-through facilities for the sale of goods or products or provision of services otherwise permitted herein, except as accessory uses herein.

(Code 1983, § 12-5; Ord. No. 263-83 , § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 158-87 , § 1, 7-16-1987; Ord. No. 30-92 , § 21, 3-3-1992; Ord. No. 85-96 , §, 2 5-30-1996; Ord. No. 222-98 , § 1, 8-27-1998; Ord. No. 147-2000 , § 1, 6-1-2000; Ord. No. 203-2004 , § 1, 8-26-2004; Ord. No. 5-2013 , § 4, 1-31-2013; Ord. No. 155-2013 , § 3, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-5), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-5), 2-8-2018)

Editor's note(s)—See the editor's note to § 12-4.

Sec. 12-6. - Prohibited uses.

In a B-6P zone, all uses other than as permitted herein are prohibited.

(Code 1983, § 12-6; Ord. No. 263-83 , § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 155-2013 , § 1, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-6), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-6), 2-8-2018)

Editor's note(s)—See the editor's note to § 12-4.

Sec. 12-7. - Locational standards.

A community commercial center shall abut, front on and have its principal access to and from an arterial or collector street. A regional commercial center shall abut, front on, and have its principal access to and from a street designated as an arterial.

(Code 1983, § 12-7; Ord. No. 263-83, § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 155-2013, § 1, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017, § 6(12-7), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018, § 1(12-7), 2-8-2018; Ord. No. 036-2025, § 13, 6-12-2025)

Editor's note(s)—See the editor's note to § 12-4.

Sec. 12-8. - Minimum design standards.

The following minimum standards shall be met in the design of a planned commercial center:

(a) Height Requirement. There shall be no height limitation.

(b) Required Setback.

(1) Streetfront building setbacks (Four-story buildings and below), the building setback line shall be:

(i.) Arterial street: Fifteen (15) feet minimum.

(ii.) Collector street: Fourteen (14) feet minimum.

(2) Streetfront building setbacks (buildings above four (4) stories), the building setback line shall be:

(i.) Arterial street: Eighteen (18) feet minimum.

(ii.) Collector street: Sixteen (16) feet minimum.

(3) Side and Rear yard building setback: Ten (10) feet, unless adjacent to a residential zone, then a 3:1 height-to-yard ratio.

(1) No residential dwelling shall be developed so that the rear of the structure abuts an arterial or collector street unless the dwelling is located not less than two hundred (200) feet from the arterial or collector street.

(2) Any commercial center which directly adjoins any single-family residential zone shall be required to provide a buffer yard of six (6) feet in width, with one (1) tree for every thirty (30) feet of linear boundary from Group A, B, or C of the Plant List, as referenced by Article 18 of this Zoning Ordinance; plus a six-foot-high fence, wall or earth mound. The responsibility for such a buffer shall be the B-6P property, although the buffer may be shared as provided in Article 18.

(d) Lot Coverage and Floor Area Requirements. The ground area occupied by all the buildings shall not exceed the maximums noted below, based upon the minimum floor area requirements. Parking structures shall not be considered as a building for the purposes of this section.

(1) Community Commercial Center.

(i.) For a proposed development that meets the following locational criteria:

A. Ten (10) acres or larger;

B. Smaller than thirty (30) acres;

C. Contains frontage along a collector street.

(ii.) The following Lot Coverage and Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) shall apply:

A. The minimum F.A.R. shall be 0.30.

B. The maximum Lot Coverage shall be 0.35.

(iii.) For a proposed development that meets the following locational criteria:

A. Ten (10) acres or larger.

B. Smaller than thirty (30) acres.

C. Contains frontage along an arterial street.

(iv.) The following Lot Coverage and Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) shall apply:

A. The minimum F.A.R. shall be 0.4.

B. The maximum Lot Coverage shall be 0.30.

(2) Regional Commercial Center.

(i.) For a proposed development that meets the following locational criteria:

A. Thirty (30) acres or larger.

B. Contains frontage along an arterial street.

(ii.) The following Lot Coverage and Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) shall apply:

A. The minimum F.A.R. shall be 0.5.

B. The maximum Lot Coverage shall be 0.3.

(3) Special Provisions for All Centers.

(i.) Increases in floor area over and above the minimum shall grant an increase in the maximum lot coverage at a rate of 2 to 1.

(ii.) Increases in floor area for residential uses shall grant an increase in the maximum lot coverage at a rate of 1 to 1.

(iii.) Minimum Open Space: See Article 20 for open space regulations.

(e) Maximum Parking. Notwithstanding any other requirements of this Zoning Ordinance:

(1) For any commercial center that is located on a transit route, there shall be a maximum of four (4) surface parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) commercial square feet.

(2) For any commercial center that is not located on a transit route, there shall be a maximum of five (5) surface parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) commercial square feet.

(3) For any commercial center containing residential use(s), the residential use(s) there shall be a maximum of one (1) surface parking space per dwelling unit.

(4) Structure parking shall not count toward any maximum parking requirement.

(f) Loading Areas. Notwithstanding any other requirements of this Zoning Ordinance, there shall be provided one (1) off-street loading space for each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of aggregate floor space of all buildings in the center. At least one-third (1/3) of the space required shall be sufficient in area and vertical clearance to accommodate trucks of the tractor-trailer type. Such loading facilities shall be permanently and fully screened. The exact type and nature of such screening shall be determined by Article 18 .

(g) Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be regulated by Article 30 and restricted as follows:

(1) Wall mounted lamps that use the equivalent of one thousand, two hundred (1,200) lumens per bulb or greater shall be shielded or equipped with cutoffs so that the light sources are not visible from a public street. Spotlights without shielding devices are prohibited.

(2) Wall mounted light fixtures shall not extend above the height of the wall to which they are mounted.

(3) Lighting that is positioned to highlight a building shall be aimed at the object to be illuminated and not directly aimed into the sky.

(4) Any light fixture intended to illuminate walkways or other outdoor areas shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height unless specifically used to light an outdoor recreation facility such as a tennis court, ball field, or similar use.

(5) Any light fixture intended to illuminate a parking area shall not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height, shall be shielded or equipped with cutoffs and shall meet all requirements of Article 30.

(h) Transit Facilities.

(1) For all commercial centers abutting a transit route, a minimum of one (1) transit shelter with seating shall be provided on such route, and shall have sidewalk connections a minimum of five (5) feet in width to both the internal and perimeter pedestrian circulation systems. Such transit shelter shall not be required when an existing transit shelter is present within ¼ mile of the development along the same side of the roadway, and connected to the development with a continuous pedestrian network.

(2) No zoning compliance permits shall be issued for the commercial center until all approved transit infrastructure is constructed in accordance with the approved final development plan.

(Code 1983, § 12-8; Ord. No. 263-83 , § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 37-2000 , § 1, 2-24-2000; Ord. No. 147-2000 , § 1, 6-1-2000; Ord. No. 114-2003 , § 1, 5-29-2003; Ord. No. 3-2004 , § 1, 1-15-2004; Ord. No. 129-2009 , § 25, 7-2-2009; Ord. No. 155-2013 , § 1, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017 , § 6(12-8), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018 , § 1(12-8), 2-8-2018; Ord. No. 85-2018 , § 1, 11-1-2018; Ord. No. 004-2023, § 30, 1-31-2023; Ord. No. 079-2024, § 1, 7-9-2024; Ord. No. 036-2025, § 14, 6-12-2025)

Editor's note(s)—See the editor's note to § 12-4.

Sec. 12-9. - Design guidelines for "big-box" retail establishments.

It is in the best interest of Lexington-Fayette County to minimize the possible "blighting" effect that abandoned shopping centers and large retail establishments can have on the larger area or neighborhood in which they are located. By imposing additional standards in the form of design standards for such centers, these effects can be minimized, and future redevelopment and reuse of vacant retail buildings encouraged through proper facility design, without expenditure of public funds. For this reason, the Planning Commission has adopted the following design standards for commercial centers containing a single "big-box" establishment larger than eighty thousand (80,000) square feet in size (referred to as principal building below):

(a) For every hundred (100) feet of linear wall along the primary wall plane of the principal building and any additional buildings attached to the principal building, there shall be a corresponding inset, offset, projection or reveal a minimum of three (3) feet in dimension.

(b) Loading docks, trash collection areas, and outdoor storage items not intended for sale shall not be located within the front yard. Accessory outdoor sales areas for merchandise shall be permitted within the front yard.

(c) Sidewalks a minimum of five (5) feet in width are required along the full length of any exterior wall featuring a customer entrance or an abutting off-street parking lot, and along sides of the lot that abut a public or private street.

(d) Walkways and sidewalks must be covered with awnings or other weather protection at all customer entrances, provided at least twenty percent (20%) of the sidewalk along the exterior wall is covered in front of the entrance.

(e) Sidewalks a minimum of five (5) feet in width shall be provided to connect the customer entrance locations to the public or private right-of-way. A maximum of two (2) crosswalks are allowed to make the connection.

(Code 1983, § 12-9; Ord. No. 147-2000, § 1, 6-1-2000; Ord. No. 155-2013, § 1, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017, § 6(12-9), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018, § 1(12-9), 2-8-2018; Ord. No. 036-2025, § 15, 6-12-2025)

Editor's note(s)—See the editor's note to § 12-4.

Sec. 12-10. - Procedure.

The procedure for obtaining a Zoning Map Amendment to the B-6P zone shall be the same as provided in Article 6 hereinabove, in addition, as follows:

(a) Preliminary Development Plan Required. A preliminary development plan shall be submitted with the application for a Zoning Map Amendment, with the information as specified in Article 21; and, in addition, approximate total gross floor area of anticipated retail facilities; the approximate total gross floor area of anticipated office and service facilities; the approximate number of anticipated off-street parking spaces; and the stages which will be followed in the construction of the proposed commercial center.

(b) Final Development Plan Required. The procedure for a Final Development Plan shall be the same as provided in Article 21 .

(c) Building Permit Required. No building permit shall be issued until a final development plan has been approved and certified to the Division of Planning, after which a permit for construction may be issued by the Division of Building Inspection. The approved final development plan shall limit and control the issuance of all building and occupancy permits, and shall restrict the construction, location, and use of all land and structures to all conditions set forth in the plan. Amendments to the plan can be made only as permitted in Article 21 , Development Plans.

(Code 1983, § 12-10; Ord. No. 263-83, § 1, 12-15-1983; Ord. No. 172-86, § 1, 8-28-1986; Ord. No. 153-87, § 1, 7-9-1987; Ord. No. 122-2011, § 20, 9-29-2011; Ord. No. 155-2013, § 1, 12-10-2013; Ord. No. 166-2017, § 6(12-10), 11-16-2017; Ord. No. 5-2018, § 1(12-10), 2-8-2018; Ord. No. 036-2025, § 16, 6-12-2025)