As we look to 2013 there is much to be thankful for and much to do. Lexington continues to position itself as not only the Horse Capital of the World but as a Great American City, and it’s a great time to be here for both.
District-wide Meeting
Please go ahead and mark your calendar for the Fifth District-wide meeting on Jan. 8 in the Lassiter Theatre of Henry Clay High School. We will begin at 6 p.m., but please come early to enjoy refreshments and spend time with your neighbors. The mayor has added the event to his calendar and safety folks from both fire and police departments will be on hand to answer questions and make suggestions. This will be a great opportunity to ask the questions and get the answers you’ve always wanted. It should be a night well spent. Please come and bring a friend.
Greater St. Ann
As the Southland Church nears completion and the new restaurant on St. Margaret continues to take shape, I am most pleased to be helping the Idle Hour Neighbors Alliance. This rejuvenated group is already making a difference. The flashing yellow arrows on Richmond Road at St. Ann have been reset to not flash during high traffic times. This will make the intersection safer during congested periods. The same treatment was earlier rendered for St. Margaret. We have begun secondary discussions about upgrading the medians of both streets at Richmond Road. My goal is to help foster a small area plan for this wonderful neighborhood. Sounds like a New Years resolution to me.
Miles Ahead
As I write this, the Streets & Roads crew has completed the first of our paving list by resurfacing Sparks Road in a partnership with Kentucky American Water after a water main replacement on that street. There are a couple of more on the list for our area before “the plants close,” and one of them is James Court. As the asphalt goes down street by street, I’ll list that progress here. Next up is working on the paving list on which to use our part of the $13 million bond we will let after the first of the year. As it’s a catch-up amount of money, don’t hesitate to let me know your New Years’ paving resolution.
Tates Creek Road Sidewalks
As you read this, the council will just have had the second reading and taken the vote to receive the last $54,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the traffic signal equipment needed to facilitate the building of the sidewalks as soon as bids can go out. This final piece of the puzzle means that as the winter wears on, we can begin to greet the spring as we watch progress on the sidewalks. I’ll gladly update all progress here.
Density Anyone?
Following up on the council’s recent zone change hearing about a possible Hampton Inn on Southland Drive near Nicholasville Road, there is also a Development Plan that has been filed with the Planning Commission about part of the lakefront property once called Two Lakes. The newer development will feature townhouses along both the “duck pond” and Reservoir No. 2. The plan asks for a six-story building with a three-story parking structure. Neighbors next door and across the water have questions and objections. When you read this the decision will have been made but a further discussion on boundary, density and greenspace can follow either here, at the district-wide meeting or in the weekly e-newsletter.