Three former chairs of the Paris Pike Corridor Commission including a former governor Monday offered historical perspectives of the decades-old process that ended in 2003 with a reconstructed highway from Lexington to Paris Kentucky.
Only two of the nine members attended the downtown meeting.
Former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear believes increased safety was the key topic during the sometimes heated debate over the design of Paris Pike in the 1990’s and it still holds today.
“I just urge the current commission, as they contemplate new issues that come up, to be very mindful about what that corridor is all about,” said Beshear. “It’s not only for safety, but it’s about tourists.”
Beshear says a ten minute drive from downtown Lexington leads to a drive by scenic horse farms.
Amy Clark serves on the Lexington Neighborhood Council. She and two north Lexington residents expressed worries about proposed development off Paris Pike just outside Interstate 64.
While supporting keeping Lexington’s urban service boundary as is, Clark admits in-fill development raises some concern as well.
“We need to offer more housing to people moving in to the county, but I think the devil is in the details. It really matters where you put it and how you put it in,” explained Clark.
Paris Pike Corridor Commission Chair Ben Blyton believes a primary responsibility for the nine-member panel is to determine if proposed changes along the 14 miles make the area more or less safe.
