Don’t take Fayette County’s precious agricultural land for granted with soccer complex

Being Lexingtonian and an avid traveler, I have had the fortune to visit many places around the globe. Frankly, before having the opportunity to travel I took the beauty, agricultural environment and nostalgia of Lexington for granted. When it is in our backyard and we see it and live it every day it is easy to forget how special of a place it really is.

After attending the recent Board of Adjustment(BOA) hearing regarding a conditional use permit for 12 soccer fields and 750 parking spaces in our A-R (agricultural) Zone I have to say I feel very disappointed in our governmental process and members of this Board. Sitting through six hours of testimony and opposition by concerned citizens, it was disturbing that the Board of Adjustment members quickly removed two of the 19 conditions recommended by Lexington-Fayette County Planning Staff. Seemingly without consideration of the citizens input, the BOA proceeded in less than 30 minutes to discuss and make a decision on what is a very important, impactful decision for our city and our signature brand here in Lexington.

As a child I grew up playing soccer, but I also rode horses. I would not have had that opportunity to ride horses and show competitively as a child had we not lived in Lexington, the horse capital of the world. The BOA made a decision last week that will have a huge impact on our Russell Cave Road and Newtown Pike areas. Now on July 28 the same applicant is coming before the Planning Commission to ask for approval of lights, a concession area, and a soccer stadium on this property. It was inevitable this was going to be the next foot to fall on our Lexington ‘footprint’.

Consider this, what other cities do you know of that have soccer stadiums in a rural setting? None. They are all located in a downtown settings where there are amenities close by. The perfect example is the Lexington Legends stadium. It is a matter of time that this whole area will get developed because we have allowed one entity start a process that will be followed without not considering the future consequences of the primary decision by the BOA.

I hope that if you are a concerned citizen that you will contact members of the Planning Commission before the July 28 hearing to oppose this conditional use of lighting and concessions and a professional stadium.

Immediately after last week’s BOA hearing, Scott County announced the approval of a huge soccer complex off Lyle Road on land that had been previously transformed from agricultural use. Kentucky already has a professional soccer stadium in Louisville, just over an hour drive west. Has anyone looked into the impact of this stadium on the surrounding community? The economic impact? The impact on infrastructure? And reported this or a like facility to any public forum in Lexington? No.

Why do we need to take away from prime Fayette County farmland and disturb our agricultural businesses in this area if our neighbors have approved soccer fields and a stadium? Are you aware, there are soccer fields at the Kentucky Horse Park, Masterson Station Park, and immediately across from the KHP Campground entrance to name a few on the north side of Lexington?

I am certainly not opposed to a soccer complex to encourage athletic development and physical exercise of our youth. However, the proposal goes well beyond this philosophy. I strongly believe that the developer and the city could have worked together better, more openly, to find a more suitable location within our USB, and now adding this one-two punch demonstrates the inevitable. Voices need to be heard on the 28th.

Carrie McIntosh is Executive Director of the Fayette County Farm Bureau.

This story was originally published July 27, 2022 at 8:33 AM.