Candidate Questionnaire, Herbert Lynn

Herbert Lynn

Transit

Land use policy and public transit are closely linked. How do you think Lexington can prioritize transit oriented development moving forward and what strategies do you support to improve our city’s public transit system?

• Answer:

Around a third of Lexington’s citizens are nondrivers, and it is critical that we develop infrastructure and transit to improve pedestrian safety and make the city less car dependent. These developments would include building raised walkways for pedestrians, barriers between bike and car lanes, and making the city bus system more convenient and attractive to commuters.

In regards to public transit specifically, Lextran needs increased funding and support to create a more robust network of buses with shorter commute times. Additionally, I am very excited to see the results of the microtransit pilot program. If residents find the program useful, and if it results in well-paid union jobs, I will support expanding the pilot program. At the end of the day however, the city council should seek the input of civil engineers and local interest groups, such as FCPS’s Safe Routes to School taskforce, in order to deliver the best outcomes for Lexington residents.

Downtown Area Master Plan

LFUCG recently adopted a new Downtown Area Master Plan. As the community works to increase the vibrancy of our downtown while also creating new housing opportunities, which implementation items from the Plan would you like to see prioritized and why?

• Answer:

In general, the downtown master plan addresses many issues that are close to my heart. I completely support the expansion of our parks network, transit systems, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. If elected, I plan to work towards the implementation of many of the items in the plan, but the two main items I would like to see prioritized are:

1. An increase in dense, affordable housing
2. Assisting our unhoused neighbors through Lexington’s housing first policy and increased support for shelters.

Building Lexington’s first full-time homeless shelter is a main plank of my platform, alongside making housing more affordable for everyone. In many ways, these issues are two sides of the same coin, and one cannot be addressed without the other.

Data Centers

Lexington currently has a moratorium on data centers until October 31, 2026. How do you think Lexington should address the growing demand for data centers?

• Answer:

Since announcing my candidacy in January, opposition to hyperscale and AI data centers in Lexington has been a core part of my platform. Data centers have led to increased utility prices across the country, and they endanger the health of ecosystems and local residents. Additionally, these hyperscale data centers are often placed in marginalized, low income communities that don’t have the money or connections to fight back against them.

The city of Lexington should extend the moratorium on all data centers, and ban facilities over 25 megawatts in capacity. An extension of the moratorium would allow our city council more time to understand the issues and implement adequate regulations. These steps would allow existing facilities, like the current Lexmark facility, to continue operating in their current capacity while limiting future expansion of data centers that would pollute our air and water.

Renewable Energy

What policies would you support to increase urban renewable energy development, like commercial and industrial rooftop solar, in Lexington-Fayette County’s built environment?

• Answer:

Increasing urban renewable energy development is an absolute requirement in the climate emergency we are currently living in, especially if we want to build and plan for a lexington our children’s children can live in and love.

We should focus on lowering barriers to installing personal-use rooftop, commercial and industrial rooftop and ground-mounted solar energy systems. The city council should take steps to incentivize the construction of said systems. As such, I support the updating of Lexington’s zoning ordinances to reflect the increased demand for and increased efficiency of solar energy systems.

Student Housing

As enrollment at the University of Kentucky expands, Lexington neighborhoods are feeling the pressure of increased demand for student housing. What growth strategies would you support to balance the need for student housing with the concerns of longtime residents?

• Answer:

Lexington is in the midst of an affordability crisis, in large part due to rising housing costs in our city. As UK expands its student population, the burden of housing has been moved to the surrounding neighborhoods and city as a whole. The responsibility of housing its student body should be shared by the university, and they should move with urgency toward building dense, on-campus housing for those who attend.

When it comes to off-campus housing, building luxury units will not solve this issue. Both full-time Lexington residents and UK students deserve affordable housing. To achieve this, we must focus on infill and building dense, affordable housing that both groups can enjoy and live in.

Urban Service Boundary

Lexington’s historic and productive agricultural lands feel more pressure each year for development of all kinds. Why do you think it is important to protect our Rural Service Area, and what policies do you support (in addition to the PDR program, vital for conservation) or would you like to see implemented to continue safeguarding it?

• Answer:

The maintenance of Lexington’s Rural Service Area is vital to preserving Lexington’s character and culture. Many fast-growing cities make the mistake of giving way to suburban sprawl and destroying their green spaces. Kentucky’s natural beauty is close to my heart. I grew up in this state, wandering its woods and wetlands. These green spaces also absorb carbon dioxide and cool the city during hot summer months. In the current climate crisis, we must maintain our green spaces for the good of the environment and Lexington residents.

To avoid the mistake of overdevelopment, we must focus on building up instead of out by utilizing mixed-use zoning and constructing dense, multi-family housing. Expanding the urban service boundary is not the solution. The solution is to build affordable housing close to where residents already work and buy their groceries. Any development in the rural service area must be carefully considered, subject to intense environmental review, and open to a long and robust period of public comment. These sorts of developments should be reserved for projects that would greatly benefit the vast majority of Lexingtonians.