That boundary separates the city from the rural areas of Fayette County and designates what land can be developed for housing or businesses.
Director of Planning Jim Duncan said the topic of urban growth dominates discussions at city hall every five years, when the city’s comprehensive plan is regularly updated. A study from EHI Consultants says the city is 22,000 housing units short, across all incomes.
The newly passed ordinance separates the city’s urban growth plan into its own process.
“We've been trying for several years to come up with a way that we can separate those policies — the comprehensive plan and the urban growth — in such a way that urban growth has its own identity,” Duncan said.
Lexington’s new Preservation and Growth Management Program would have city planners review how much land is needed for new housing every five years, after the comprehensive plan is updated. A committee would also review vacant land that could be removed from the urban service area before the city moves forward.
Property owners can also propose land to be added to the urban service boundary before the council makes a final decision on how much land to add.
Duncan said there are special provisions for “strong” economic development projects, like a major auto plant, for the city council to review the boundary more immediately. He expects those reviews to be rare occurrences.
“That would require a lot of input about what kind of business is coming here and what kind of jobs they would be creating, and it would require public review and review by the urban county council,” Duncan said.
Some agriculture preservationists say city officials should also be looking at more ways to increase housing density within Lexington’s urban core alongside the new process.
“Vacant land and green fields are not the only places that housing should or can be built. And yet, our formula in this ordinance indicates that we have to have enough vacant land to accommodate for future housing needs,” said Brittany Roethemeier, executive director of Fayette Alliance.
The council passed the proposal with 14 yes votes and one absent.
