Lexington's Urban County Council votes 11-1 in favor of historic zoning
Lexington's Urban County Council has voted to classify the Ashland Park neighborhood as a H-1 zone, a historic district.
In a special Tuesday night meeting, which lasted nearly five hours and heard from a number of supporters for the measure as well as opponents, the council voted 11-1 to approve the measure. Councilmember Jennifer Scutchfield was the only "no" vote. Councilmember Bill Farmer, Jr., who represents the 5th District, where the neighborhood is located, recused himself from the vote since he owns property in the affected area.
An H-1 overlay is designed to protect and preserve structures and sites of historic, cultural and architectural importance in Lexington and Fayette County. As part this zoning, property owners must seek approval from the Board of Architectural Review before making certain alterations to the exterior of their homes.
The majority of the homes in Ashland Park were built in the early 20th century, and the neighborhood was named after the estate of Senator Henry Clay, whose descendants sold off part of it for residential development. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The new H-1 zone is bounded by properties on South Hanover Avenue and Desha Road on the northwest and southeast and Richmond Road and Fontaine Road on the northeast and southwest. This section of Ashland Park is the city's 15th historic district.
"This is one of the most historic areas in the city, perhaps the most historic," Tony Chamblin, former president of the Ashland Park Neighborhood Association and a current board member, said in an interview last month. "...(Approval) seems logical to me – a slam dunk for anyone interested in maintaining the historic legacy of that neighborhood."
Opponents to the measure cited onerous restrictions to do what they wanted with their home and property, as well as the potential for even costlier repairs to homes' exteriors.