Development is forever

Once developed, land cannot be returned to its natural state easily.

Just look at the time and money being spent to bring back Town Branch so that our city can have more green space and charm — an effort that I applaud. It is easy to become desensitized to our inherent need for arable land and a balanced ecosystem, but this relationship is an undeniable truth.

We need the farmers, the trees and the pollinators in order to live, so we must protect them. Please know that local decisions about land conservation are destined to have a huge impact on future generations everywhere.

The greatest need we have in Lexington is smaller, more affordable housing located close to where people work. There are non-residential areas of the county with low building-to-lot ratios that could be further developed, and of course there are abandoned properties and empty lots.

I ask that the council err on the side of caution regarding expansion into the rural areas, conserve the Urban Services Boundary and redirect growth toward these other opportunities. To do otherwise is to ignore the true needs of our community in the present and the future.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Development is forever."