Susan B. Speckert, Executive Director, Fayette Alliance
Every five years Lexington updates its Comprehensive Plan, which provides the blueprint for how and where our community grows. The first step in the process for the 2018 plan is for the Council to adopt the overarching Goals and Objectives that guide more detailed land-use discussions.
The fundamental question in this process is always whether or not to expand the Urban Service Boundary. After over a year of research, analysis and unprecedented public input gathering, the Planning Commission and Planning Staff have recommended no expansion to the Council. Perhaps more than any previous Comprehensive Plan, the recommended Goals and Objectives from the Planning Commission are based on objective data, sound planning principals and overwhelming public sentiment. They address the fundamental growth issues facing our community — from affordable housing and transportation, to economic development and design standards.
The question is not “if” we grow, but “how” we grow. According to data and professional city planners, expansion will not meet our growth needs. With over 17,000 acres of vacant, undeveloped, blighted and underutilized land inside the current Urban Service Boundary, we have plenty of room to grow.
Expansion would be fiscally irresponsible. Expanding into farmland would require construction and maintenance of public infrastructure such as sewers and roads. We are already struggling to repair existing infrastructure that has been neglected and is deteriorating. We must repair and improve what we have already built, rather than increasing costs to taxpayers by creating more infrastructure to maintain. Given the looming budget concerns caused by the pension situation, we must exercise fiscal responsibility. We simply cannot afford to do otherwise.
Expansion will not meet our most pressing housing needs. Over the next decade and beyond, a majority of new housing demand will be for seniors. According to the recent Housing Market Demand Study, in order to meet the needs of our aging population, we need to significantly diversify our housing stock to create low maintenance housing types. This is critical to ensure our seniors can maintain independence as they age. This housing should be inside the city limits, in areas where seniors stay integrated into the community, not isolated from it.
We can continue to grow jobs inside the current Urban Service Boundary. Lexington has experienced unprecedented economic growth over the past decade — particularly in technology and health care. The unemployment rate in Fayette County is consistently below the state and national averages. The issue is not land availability, but how we activate our existing economic development land and incentivize job growth. Council has recently taken steps to do just that by amending the zoning ordinance to allow flexibility in our employment zones, and by creating a public infrastructure fund to defray the costs associated with constructing necessary infrastructure. We should give these initiatives an opportunity to work.
By not expanding, not only do we create an environment for job growth within our city limits, we also ensure the continued viability of our strong agricultural industries. In Fayette County, agriculture generates $2.3 billion in annual economic activity and supports 1 in 12 jobs. Our rural area also anchors a burgeoning travel and tourism industry, which generates an additional $2 billion in annual economic activity and provides over 15,000 jobs.
Overwhelmingly, our community does not support expansion. Citizens value our beautiful Bluegrass farmland and support creation of a vibrant and sustainable city through responsible and equitable infill and redevelopment, but want policies in place to ensure intentionality, context-sensitive design, and transparency. Our community needs a comprehensive growth plan to provide clarity to neighborhoods and businesses, while also allowing for some flexibility to create the type of dynamic, walkable areas the community desires.
The Planning Commission’s Goals and Objectives are fiscally responsible, comprehensive and responsive to the desires of our community. We urge the Council to respect the hard work, research, and public input that form the basis of the recommendations.
Susan B. Speckert, J.D.
Executive Director, Fayette Alliance
The Home Builders Association of Kentucky shares its argument for expanding Lexington's Urban Service Boundary here.
To learn more and to read Fayette Alliance’s full position statement on the draft Goals and Objectives, visit fayettealliance.com.