Lexington, KY - The Ashland Park Neighborhood Association is spearheading efforts to have an H-1 zoning overlay installed throughout an area that includes properties on South Hanover Avenue, Desha Road, Ghent Road, Fincastle Road, Fontaine Road, Slashes Road and Richmond Road.
Wanda Jaquith, a past president and current secretary of the Ashland Park Neighborhood Association who is leading the initiative, said the association's board, which unanimously approved of the effort, became interested in obtaining the recent zoning overlay, which makes certain property redevelopments undergo approval from the LFUCG Division of Historic Preservation to ensure an area's historic integrity and character isn't compromised, when the structure at the corner of Ghent Road and Desha Road was torn down.
"I think that just reminded us again that it would be nice if we had some sort of vehicle where we could be assured that anything that goes back up is going to be in keeping in scale and appropriate with the rest of the neighborhood," Jaquith said.
Jaquith was the neighborhood association's president 22 years ago when other pieces of the neighborhood -
South Ashland Avenue and a few properties on Central Avenue -
received an H-1 overlay. She sees the recent initiative as a continuation of those efforts over two decades ago.
Currently the neighborhood association is in the process of educating property owners about the overlay. They hosted a public forum in August and have two more scheduled in the coming weeks. After the public meetings, Jaquith and other association board members will identify residents in the Ashland Park community to go speak directly with other neighbors to gauge the amount of support there is for the zoning overlay.
"Obviously, if 90 percent of the people in the neighborhood don't want this, then we're not going to go further," Jaquith said.
Once the association feels they have an appropriate amount of support, they will fill out an application with the city's Planning Commission, who, upon approval, will commission a study of the area from the Division of Historic Preservation. The Urban County Council votes on the final status of the potential overlay.
In Lexington, there are 14 districts, which include nearly 2,000 properties, with an H-1 overlay.