Lexington is launching a new master plan for its more than 100 city parks.
The city’s Discover Great Places and Green Spaces initiative will help Lexington decide what improvements need to be made over the next decade.
““In 2018, pickleball was barely mentioned in our parks master plan, and today, it's wildly popular. So we have to really think about and really vision out a decade in advance,” said Lexington Parks & Recreation Director Monica Conrad.
The department will take in data points and ideas from the public to make those improvements. Those could include anything from improved facilities, more programming and better services.
In 2024, Lexington created a dedicated park fund after a city-wide vote. Conrad said the initiative will help decide how those tax dollars will be used.
“Do we want to prioritize fixing things that maybe have been deferred maintenance? Do we want to look at adding new things in? So that's going to be a big part of the conversation as we move forward,” she said.
City officials plan to speak to residents at local events to get input on the master plan over the next 18 months.
“We'll be having events throughout the summer, whether that's our traditional Yappy Hours or Jacobson Park for Friday Flicks, our Fourth of July events, the Bluegrass 10,000 and we'll also be having community conversations,” Conrad said.
The first of those conversations is scheduled June 30 at the Marksbury Library from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The department is also taking public input online and through mail surveys.
