Current Issues

This fall, The Fayette Alliance supported a temporary moratorium on “big box” additions in Lexington’s Infill and Redevelopment Area. The purpose of the moratorium was to promote a discussion of potential solutions to the density, noise, trash, parking, public safety, and nuisance problems facing neighborhoods around U.K. campus and throughout the city. Click here for our official position statement. Ultimately, Council adopted the moratorium only for the 3rd District.

During the moratorium, Council and community stakeholders met and recommended changing the definition of family in the zoning ordinance to address the problems associated with student housing.

Yesterday, the Council Planning Committee adopted the work group’s recommendations–sending them to the full council for review, debate, and potential adoption. Council will begin this process on March 9th. Please view below for the Lexington Herald-Leader article covering the meeting.

The Alliance continues to follow this issue closely, and will provide updates as they become available.

“Council to hear housing changes: Zoning amendments aimed at neighborhoods near UK”

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted March 9, 2010
By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

The Urban County Council Planning Committee took the first steps Tuesday toward new laws cracking down on boarding houses in Lexington neighborhoods of single-family homes.

The changes will go to the full council for discussion at its work session March 9. The measures could get first reading at council’s meeting March 11.

Before any of the seven amendments can become law, they will have to be approved by council, then move to the city’s Planning Commission for review and approval…Read more at Kentucky.com

Click below to view previous news articles on student housing and the moratorium,

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Bridge Debris From Trash

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of text amendment (SRA-2009-4) to our local subdivision regulations and LFUCG Council approved the text amendment 6-0.  This text amendment will allow the use of low-impact / green water quality measures to minimize the environmental impacts of land development.

To use these alternative water quality measures, the applicant must submit a written report to the Planning Commission outlining the environmental benefits of the proposed design. Further, the proposal’s design must be consistent with EPA guidelines, and must be prepared by a certified engineer with the state of KY. Lastly, Planning Commission must seek input from the LFUCG Department of Environmental Quality before taking action.

Sprawl

The Fayette Alliance believes the amendment is a progressive and accountable tool that, if used by the community, can drastically improve our natural waterways and our development practices—a much needed opportunity, considering Lexington-Fayette County is a place where people and livestock have tragically lost their lives in flooded streams; raw sewage and stormwater run-off pollute over 70% of our creeks; and feces finds itself in household basements, neighborhood parks, and the scenic fields of world famous farms.

In furtherance of the EPA consent decree and the remediation of our compromised water quality systems, The Fayette Alliance strongly endorses this text amendment. Please view here for our official position statement.