Candidate Questionnaire, Stephanie Spires

Stephanie Spires

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: 

Increasing frequency and expanding crosstown connections are essential to improving the efficiency of the current transit system. Another strategy might be expanded weekend and evening service to support hospitality, retail, healthcare, and other workers whose schedules differ from 9-5. Additionally I would support the R.A.M.P. Project to continue to making bus stops accessible and safe for all, as well as exploration into a regional transit system. As we have intentional conversations around Lexington’s growth, we need to have intentional conversations to ensure that the public transit system also grows to support the community’s growth.

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:

I believe housing is the biggest priority, not just in the Downtown Area Master Plan, but in our community. In regard to the Downtown Area Master Plan, I would recommend that approval for projects consistent with the plan be streamlined while preserving existing affordable housing and incorporating anti-displacement strategies. As a community we need to have intentional conversations around the intended and unintended consequences of growth and work together to care for our vulnerable neighbors (low income, seniors). While simultaneously growing housing, it is important that we develop a plant to attract businesses to this area. I would support incentives to attract local small businesses (retail, restaurants, entertainment, child care, startups, small professional services) as well as incentives for mixed-income and workforce housing.

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:

I have concerns with the current proposal and would like to see the moratorium extended and this issue placed into committee to allow for more clarity around this issue. I believe size, scale, and location are important and we need to have an understanding as to where these will be located and how they will impact the community. I do believe we should ban large data centers as the priority for many is housing and jobs, neither of which are created by large data centers. We need to preserve the little land that we have available for development for housing and job creation.

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:

I think there is a lot of miscommunication and questions around solar projects in our community. I would like to see an intentional effort to both educate as well as receive input from our community around the type of solar projects they support. I would support streamlining the process to make permitting faster and more predictable for commercial and industrial rooftop solar projects. I would also like to explore current zoning to be more forward thinking about future potential projects and investment in our community. The goal would be clear standards instead of discretionary case by case approval.

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:

I have long been a proponent of senior living communities near the University of Kentucky, similar to the community that has been built in Chapel Hill around UNC. Development projects that are a mixed of active adult rentals, affordable housing, and continuing care communities. The 8-80 concept is an urban planning model that says if a city’s public spaces, streets, and systems are designed to be safe, enjoyable, and accessible of an 8 year old and and 80 year old, they will be safer for everyone in between. The 8-80 model is a way that we could grow to both support the expanded needs of student housing and address the concerns of the surrounding neighborhoods and longtime residents. Additionally, having a community that is intentionally designed to support all ages, will support our local businesses, restaurants, and entertainment near campus and downtown.

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:

Over the past several months, I have knocked on a lot of doors and spoken to a lot of people. Not one single person has said they are in favor of expanding the Urban Service Boundary, but many have shared concern with infill projects (typically the scale and parking). Lexington’s rich history and farms are part of what makes our community special. In order to protect our farmland, we are going to need to be intentional about development within the boundary, including new construction, restoration and expansion of current homes in need of repair, redeveloping surface parking lots, converting underused office and commercial spaces to residential, and incentivizing mixed-income and workforce housing projects. Just like solar, we need to be transparent around infill projects both with potential developers, but also with the neighborhoods impacted.