The Winchester-Clark County Planning Commission gave approval Sept. 6 to a final development plan for a Holiday Inn Express, to be located in the Winchester Plaza at 1515 West Lexington Road.

According to the staff report accompanying the development plan, the property is a vacant five-acre parcel bordering the Interstate 64 off ramp. The applicant is Madison Holdings, LLC.

The property is currently zoned for highway business (B3).

Several variances needed to be approved along with the plan after planning staff concluded it did not entirely conform with B3 area requirements.

According to Planning Supervisor Robert Jefferies, the proposed structure was 45 feet 4 inches tall, more than 10 feet taller than what is typically allowed in B3 zones.

Additionally, the building gradually got closer to the property line from the northwest corner to the southeast corner, ending with less than a 50-foot setback from the property line as is required by the zoning.

Finally, in one section of the plan the lot did not maintain its required 50 foot lot width.

“When (the planning commissioners) were reviewing these variances they looked at the reason maybe why the hotel was positioned at the location it was,” Jefferies said. “In the staff report it explains that the hotel may have chosen this location due to the 20-foot private sanitary sewer easement that runs along the northwest side of the building and the permanent utility easement running along the northeast side of the building.”

He added that the west side of the parcel lies in the floodplain, which may have also been a factor when deciding where the building would be positioned.

According to the staff report, the landscaping and parking portions of the plan both met the necessary guidelines.

Jeffries said with planning commission approval, the applicant will need to procure the appropriate permits and signage before development can begin.

The planning commission also gave approval for:

— A request to rezone the property at 951 Bypass Road (Rural King) from highway business to general business (B4). According to Jefferies, the change would allow the business to store materials outdoors in seasonal outdoor displays in a space the size of 53 parking spaces. The planning commission’s recommendation will be sent to the Winchester City Commission for a final decision.

— A development plan for 3100 Corporate Drive for an office and additional outdoor storage for Infiltrator Water Technologies.

— A development plan for 24 W. Lexington Ave. for the demolition of the Kentucky Bank Building and the construction of a new CVS building.

— A development plan for 1140 Bypass Road. According to the staff report, the existing structure on the property will be demolished and two new buildings will be constructed. One of the proposed buildings will be occupied by Sleep Outfitters, and the other will be occupied by another low-volume retail store that has not yet been named.

Contact Seth Littrell at seth.littrell@winchestersun.com.