The Fayette Alliance’s vision for Lexington-Fayette County builds on its history as the “Athens of the West,” while advancing a future that ensures a high quality of life for all of its citizens. In this vein, Lexington-Fayette County will strengthen its role as the commercial, educational, and cultural epicenter of the Bluegrass Region.
This vision includes a vibrant city surrounded by productive farmland.
To achieve this vision, Lexington-Fayette County will:
Protect its prime farmland for agricultural use by both the equine and general agricultural industries, while promoting its signature Bluegrass landscape for the pride and enjoyment of the entire community and in furtherance of developing cultural tourism;
Secure the infrastructure necessary to achieve appropriate environmental conditions vital to the health and happiness of every Fayette County citizen, including requisite facilities, and sanitary sewer and stormwater systems.
Vigorously pursue innovative infill and re-development opportunities to secure long-term economic development, adequate affordable housing, appropriate historic preservation, efficient public transportation, and needed greenways.
Thereby establishing Lexington-Fayette County as one of the visionary municipalities of the modern era.
Our Policies
The Fayette Alliance is Lexington’s only land-use advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting our renowned rural landscape in Fayette County and strengthening the city of Lexington through innovative infill redevelopment and adequate infrastructure. The Alliance achieves this mission through educating the public and lobbying LFUCG to adopt the following land use policies:
- Support the conservation efforts of the LFUCG Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program and the Bluegrass Conservancy, which preserve the factory floor of Fayette County farming forever.
- Oppose an expansion of the Urban Service Boundary at this time because of our defunct infrastructure, the economic importance of Fayette County agribusiness, the amount of developable land within the current city limits, and the need to provide real affordable housing opportunities in Lexington-Fayette County.
- Advance infill redevelopment as the primary mechanism for new growth by encouraging the flow of capital into Lexington’s urban core, promoting an upgrade of infrastructure in existing neighborhoods, and lobby local government to revise -as appropriate- the economic and regulatory barriers that impede interior growth and repair.
Our Platform
In 2007, The Fayette Alliance Infill taskforce finalized a working draft of the Fayette Alliance’s policy platform. Every week, the Alliance works with local government and civic leaders to adopt these policies–for our town, our farms, and our future.
This report is a starting point on many important land use issues, and may be subject to change upon further community discussion, review, and refinement.
Members of the Fayette Alliance Infill taskforce include:
- Infill developers Phil Holoubeck, Greg Padgett, Robert Trujillo, and Holly Wiedemann
- Affordable Housing expert and past executive director of Lex. Habitat for Humanity, Grant Phelps
- Fayette County Neighborhood Council members Emma Tibbs and Judy Worth
- Agricultural community representatives Don Robinson, John Phillips, and Margaret Graves
- Executive Director of The Fayette Alliance Knox van Nagell
Download The Fayette Alliance’s Policy Platform Recommendations
