LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of long-time residents of a historically Black neighborhood in Lexington is pushing back against plans to bring a commercial retail and office space to the area.
The city's Board of Architectural Review (BOAR) approved developer plans for a one-story commercial building at 2986 Cadentown Road in early February. Builders in historic districts must apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness through BOAR before they can move forward.
The board, which is responsible for reviewing applications for 16 historic overlay districts in the city, said they followed the process and zoning rules to make their decision. City regulation only requires people within 200 feet to be notified of changes on the property, but residents on Caden Lane were not notified.
Still, it was met with disapproval and concern from some people who have lived there for years and feel they weren't properly informed or consulted about the process.
"My term for what has happened is they failed us, tremendously," said Pastor Leon Slatter of Cadentown Missionary Baptist Church.
Slatter says neighbors fought for the historic overlay designation with the help of the city in 2001 to prevent urbanization and protect the identity of the residential area.
"This is the purest form of gentrification," said Slatter.
Alvin Seals, whose family was one of the first settlers in Cadentown, says there are no businesses currently in its boundaries. He fears if one is allowed to build, it would set a dangerous precedent.
"I'm not happy with it because again, we tried to make sure that there would not be an invasion, may I call it, by getting this historic overlay. But it has come anyway by this first step," said Seals.
Kimberly Robinson, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, says they would have preferred a single residential home. On top of preserving history, Robinson says she is also concerned about traffic.
"Even though we expressed the concerns, I felt they were unheard," said Robinson. "I've expressed they don't live in this community. They don't know what goes on in this community. They don't know the traffic flow. Our concern is to keep the integrity with the community."
The site currently sits across from a CVS and Cocktails Too.
Bettie Kerr, director of historic preservation, says the board reviewed the application based on appropriateness and according to zoning plans.
"The staff's interpretation of the guidelines, looking at this specific application, felt that it does meet the standards that we are charged with upholding," said Kerr.
Kerr says they could not change the way the property was zoned.
"That land use zoning is assured to still be in place for all these properties that become designated as historic districts. And the only thing that would change whatever about what a property is zoned, would be for there to be an application to the planning segment of the urban county government for a full process of requesting a zone change," she explained.
Emails obtained by LEX 18 cite maps from 1969 from a comprehensive plan when the city and county merged as proof of the zone determination. Director of Planning Jim Duncan said the maps indicate the property was zoned for commercial or neighborhood business prior to 1969. They added, "While the use of the property might have been residential between 1975 and 2016, when the structure was demolished, the zoning has been commercial. When the zone was established is somewhat more difficult to attain because the property was located outside of the Lexington city limits and we have less documentation for Fayette County prior to the merger. The location of the B-1 zone along the intersection is also close to the area recommended for a shopping center by the 1967 Comprehensive Plan."
However, they submit that the research gave no definitive evidence of a historic business at that location.
LEX 18 is working to obtain the maps.
Kerr says historic preservation's job is not to keep everything the same, but to protect the special character of the neighborhood while recognizing the need to adapt.
"One thing historic preservation does not try to do is freeze time. But people have a misperception sometimes that the goal of historic preservation is everything stay just like it is — and that's not realistic. Things do change sometimes. And when they do, you want it to go through the processes that make the outcome the best it can be," said Kerr.
As the proposed plan for the land moves forward, Robinson is challenging city records of the area being residential. She says it's been residential since her best friend's mother, Mary Evans, purchased the property and built a home there in 1934.
Property records show Mary H. Evans did own the deed to that property from 1934 to 2015.
Robinson plans to appeal the decision on the zoning of the property with the city's planning commission.
"Even if it happens, I think this is a good forum so people will now bring awareness of what happens to us as African Americans," said Robinson.
