Lexington keeps current growth boundary, but expansion could come as soon as 2020

The Lexington Council voted unanimously Thursday night to keep Fayette County’s current growth boundary but made some key changes that could open new land for development as soon as 2020.

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council gave final approval to the goals and objectives of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan, which will guide development in the city for five years.

The plan includes a goal that keeps the current Urban Service Area, the portion of Fayette County where urban development is allowed, but amendments approved Thursday require completion of a study by July 1, 2020 to determine triggers for opening land to development.

The study would set growth thresholds and parameters that must be met before land outside the current growth boundary could be developed. Other changes made it clear the 2018 Comprehensive Plan could be amended before it expires in 2023.

“We want to emphasize flexibility,” said Councilwoman Kathy Plomin.

Councilman James Brown said he made a motion to require completion of the study by July 1, 2020, because he didn’t want it to drag on too long. Brown said city officials have found $150,000 for a consultant to oversee the study.

“I had concerns about the time line,” Brown said.

Another amendment requires city planners to use the results of that study to guide future development. It deleted a goal that would have kept the current growth boundary even after the study is complete.

Lexington’s growth boundary was last expanded in 1996, when 5,400 acres were added for development.

The fight over whether to expand the boundary has long been contentious. The city’s planners recommended keeping the current growth boundary in July. The Urban County Planning Commission also voted 7 to 4 to keep the current growth boundary as part of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

The council, however, has been divided on the issue of expansion. The 15-member council first voted 8 to 7 last week to move the 2018 Comprehensive Plan that kept the current growth boundary to its agenda.

That vote came after the narrow defeat of an amendment that would have allowed some new development outside the boundary. That amendment was defeated but only after a council member switched his vote.

Those that oppose expansion have said there are still thousands of acres inside the current boundary available for development. Those that say expansion is needed argue Fayette County does not have enough publicly controlled land to attract new businesses. Land prices are escalating inside the growth boundary, which is creating a lack of affordable housing, they argued.

A day before the council took its first vote on the 2018 Comprehensive Plan on Nov. 7, the city and the University of Kentucky announced a land swap that would give the city 200 acres of university-owned land near Georgetown Road and Interstate 64 and Interstate 75. In addition, the university would give the city 50 acres of land that is part of Coldstream Research Park off Newtown Pike. UK still needs to get key sign-offs from the state for the deal.

Many council members said they were concerned that deal could take too long to get approval and would only give the city immediate access to 50 acres of “shovel-ready” land to market to new businesses.

The 2018 Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives now go back to the Urban County Planning Commission, which must flesh them out and add more details before it comes back to the council for final approval next year.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Lexington keeps current growth boundary, but expansion could come as soon as 2020."