LEXINGTON, Ky. — Leaders in Lexington recently voted to add additional land to its Urban Service Boundary, raising concerns for some city residents. 

What You Need To Know

  • The city of Lexington is considering expanding its Urban Service Boundary, a line that keeps urban sprawl in check from the surrounding rural areas

  • Mary Diane McCord Hanna has farm land off Old Richmond Road, and is concerned about the possibility of urban encroachment and development nearby

  • The boundary is up for discussion every five year. The last time it was expanded was 30 years ago

  • Leaders in Lexington voted to add up to 5,000 acres of land to its Urban Service Boundary

Mary Diane McCord Hanna is in her first term as Fayette County judge-executive. On the land off Old Richmond Road, however, she helps on the farm that was started by her family.

“I hated living on the farm when I was a kid because there weren’t many people out here to play with but my sister, but now I appreciate it,” McCord Hanna said. 

It’s where she feeds her golden hens and gathers fresh eggs, tends to fields of green grass and where images of the bluegrass are all over the yard. 

It’s also why she and others are unsure about Lexington’s decision to expand up to 5,000 acres of land for its Urban Service Boundary. 

The boundary line should prevent urban sprawl on the outskirts of the city. Hanna says the boundary line has been a constant concern for folks near properties of the service barrier.

“The developer wants to put 192 apartments and a gas station at that corner and that’s not what the people expected when they bought the Ellerslie subdivision,” Mccord Hanna explained. “It’s not what we expect out there. Supposed to be two to three houses per acre there.”

Every five years, the comprehensive plan that handles the boundary line is up for discussion and it’s been 30 years since the boundary was last expanded. 

While McCord Hanna isn’t alone in her concerns, some council members say they have worked hard to make a plan that works for everyone.

Councilman Preston Worley, who has worked closely with farm developers in the past, says the expansion helps a city that has shown there’s a need for more homes and jobs.

“How do we all work together and think about a long-term growth plan that both preserves the beautiful and the heritage, but then also takes care of all of it and makes sure that they all have a safe and affordable place to live but also a great job that they can enjoy?” Worley wondered. 

For now, expansion won’t be coming directly to McCord Hanna’s farm and other properties like it in the Old Richmond Road area due to the purchase of development rights. 

“You’ve agreed that you will not develop this area and the ones around me can never be developed,” she explained. 

As neighborhood association president of the area for 20 years, she hopes they can continue preserving farmland for new generations to enjoy.

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