How can Lexington balance the constant friction between preservation and growth? | Opinion

Lexington stands on the cusp of change, with our cherished Keeneland signaling a transformative leap with their $93 million renovation. The excitement around their development announcement to modernize and expand comes as a breath of fresh air, shedding light on the broader potential for our city’s growth.

Over the past few years, a myriad of projects with similar undertones to Keeneland’s proposition faced resistance. Whether it was introducing Short Term Rentals outside the Urban Service Boundary, removing a tree for the new Richmond Road Panera or demolishing the old ‘historic’ unemployment office for infill residences, the projects met roadblocks by land use advocates, city planners, and historic preservationists. The resistances are not just about the zoned area, the trees or the ‘history’ – it’s about the lacking spirit of progress and growth.

Can we evolve to judge ventures, irrespective of their origin, based on their merit and the broader benefits they promise our community?

The arguments against development are not always without merit. But at face value, uprooting over 30 mature trees for a new operations building, and razing a wing of a 50+ year old historic landmark with the intent to expand commercialization outside the Urban Service Boundary with paddock chalets does not fit into the playbook for frictionless approval by staple community advocates but likely will go without public opposition.

Recently folks with an extra bedroom or second home but outside the Urban Service Boundary face opposition from Rural Land Management Board to host visitors in their Short Term Rental, seeing it as commercialization of the rural area.

In 2021, a developer was held up by city planners trying to save a Pin Oak tree where the new Panera is now built.

Still ongoing, the owners of the former unemployment offices at High and Upper downtown have been trying to complete an infill project that would add more residences downtown, only to be continually blocked by historic preservationists in the name of a 50-year-old building. The opposition stands as a testament to a myopic view of “historical significance.”

But the heart of the matter is this: How do we balance growth and preservation? How can we progress without being prisoners of our past and stop giving people whiplash trying to build in Lexington?

There’s been fervent debate in our community on these issues. It highlighted a need for a balanced perspective.

We are making some developers and builders pay exaction fees our own municipality can’t accurately track but offer millions to projects like Keeneland and Lexington Sporting Club for the same public infrastructure needs, contradicting the values our recent comprehensive plans.

Keeneland’s initiative beckons Lexington’s advocacy groups, from historic preservationists to land use experts and tree loving city planners, to reflect deeper. While we all treasure our city’s historic charm and beauty, it’s paramount that we recognize when it’s time to evolve. This isn’t about discarding our roots but about understanding when they might be holding us back.

It’s a pivotal moment for Lexington. Keeneland, an institution interwoven with our city’s identity, is poised to set a precedent. Their vision serves as a challenge, urging us to look at land and how we use it in a new light. Not as a finite resource to guard jealously, but as a canvas upon which we can continually reimagine and reshape our city’s future.

The challenge is evident. Let’s rise, not as mere bystanders but as proactive architects of our future. Keeneland’s bold vision is a call to action to the rest of the city — inviting us all to come together and champion progress city-wide. Let’s shape it with wisdom, foresight, and a shared commitment to both honor our past and eagerly embrace our future.

So, as Keeneland forges ahead, let’s reflect: Do our judgments truly value the merit of developer’s applications? Are we consistent in our views, or do we inadvertently play favorites based on the name behind a project?

Ross L. Boggess, Lexington native and real estate developer. Ross is passionate about using real estate development to make Lexington a growing city we are all proud to call home.