The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s General Government and Planning Committee heard a proposal Tuesday to create a “development liaison” position in city government to address the city’s housing shortage.
A study by EHI Consultants says Lexington is 22,000 housing units short, with that number expected to grow by 2030.
The recommendation was part of a presentation by the Department of Planning and Preservation.
The position would help streamline the development process for companies looking to build housing in Lexington. Some ideas for the position include guiding developers through the application process and regularly assessing the city’s vacant or underdeveloped land.
“I think it will specifically, particularly help those first-time, smaller-scale developers that we don't have enough of here in the city, and hopefully removing some of those barriers and bottlenecks will encourage more people to come into that field,” Vice Mayor Dan Wu said during the meeting.
Department Director Keith Horn says the position would work outside of his purview.
“It shouldn't have to be in my office,” he said. “If this position is created, they can monitor the plans, they can check to see what's going on, they can make the contacts about what's going on with your plan.”
Hiring a development liaison has been previously recommended by Lexington for Everyone, a local nonprofit lobbying the city for more housing development.
The position would need to be included in Lexington’s budget for the next fiscal year. The council will begin discussing the budget next month, and it’s scheduled to be finalized by June 30.
