Fayette Alliance Blog

“Lexington sewer rates rise, but few understand the reasons why”

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted Nov. 20, 2009
By Andy Mead, amead@herald-leader.com

Photo by Pablo Alcala, Herald-Leader Staff. HERALD-LEADER - Contaminants such as motor oil or anything that spills into a storm drain flows directly into waterways. Wolf Run Creek at Valley Park in Lexington is one such destination for rain and other runoff that gets into the storm-sewer system. Kentucky.com

Paying for sewers is taking an increasing bite out of the wallets of Lexington residents, but most of us are blissfully unaware of what is going on beneath our feet.

A survey commissioned by local officials shows, for example, that three out of four people don’t know the difference between sanitary and storm sewers.

(In the sanitary sewer system, water from a toilet, sink or shower goes into one set of pipes and then to a treatment plant before reaching a creek. Rainwater that runs off lawns and driveways goes into the storm sewer system, then directly into a creek.)  Read more at Kentucky.com

City hears support for two-way streets downtown

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, Nov. 18, 2009
By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

Gay Reading, an owner of Greentree Antiques and Tea Room, said converting Short Street and Second Street from one-way to two-way would be a “huge boost” for his shop and nearby businesses.

“We are very anxious to have two-way streets restored to downtown,” Reading said. He described one-way streets as “a nightmare,” especially when trying to give people directions on the telephone. Reading said he was authorized to speak on behalf of L.V. Harkness, Belle Maison and Trillium, whose owners also want two-way traffic… Read more at Kentucky.com

John Fritz Jr. said Thursday he is "a happy guy" now that his farm at Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard can be developed for commercial, residential and mixed uses. His family, which has owned the farm for more than a century, opposed residential-only zoning. www.kentucky.com

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted November 13, 2009

By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

After a 20-year battle waged by the Fritz family to get the city to rezone their farm at the corner of Nicholasville Road and Man o’ War Boulevard, the Lexington Planning Commission cleared the way on Thursday for the land to be developed.

The commission adopted the South Nicholasville Road Small Area Plan, which will guide future development along the corridor, including the 52 acre-Fritz Farm and the nearby 103-acre University of Kentucky Horticultural Research Farm…Read more at Kentucky.com

PUBLIC MEETING FOR TOWN BRANCH TRAIL PLANNED

Town Branch Trail Feasibility Study – Public Meeting to be held at McConnell Springs Visitor Center

November 17^th, 2009 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

The Public is invited to attend an open house style public meeting for the Town Branch Trail Feasibility Study, which will examine the possible trail alignments from Alexandria Drive to Jefferson Street/Cox Street Parking lot. The new trail will follow along the Town Branch Creek and RJ Codman/CSX railroad corridors as it connects the suburban developments along Leestown Road, the Distillery District, and Downtown Lexington.

The purpose of the meeting is to inform the public about the trail project and gain their input on such topics as the trail alignment, trailhead locations, historic features, public art, wayfinding, infill and redevelopment opportunities, and landscape beautification along the trail corridor.

The meeting will be held at the McConnell Springs Visitor Center on November 17^th from 6:30 to 8:30 in the evening.

For more information please contact Joshua Karrick (859) 264 -7500 or at jkarrick@cdpengineers.com

Water foes make their case: PSC erred in OK’ing costly KY. American plan, judge told

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted Nov. 10, 2009
By Andy Mead, amead@herald-leader.com