LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington is moving into the next phase of its comprehensive plan for the city.
Within the last year, Zachary Klosterman made Lexington his new home for remote work. He’s one Lexingtonian listening in for the vision for the city — one that includes a goal of “equitable” growth around the city, like residential development.
“I was looking for something that was nice, safe and maybe more affordable than other cities out there,” he explained.
The residential planning was something that was brought to his attention soon after he moved here. “I don’t know — 100-something units right next to the single-family zoning, so I’d say that’s where I’m at right now,” Klosterman observed.
The planning commission put together its goals and objectives it hopes to accomplish by 2045.
The comprehensive plan, which is a collective process that cities must follow under Kentucky state law when organizing expansion across the community, is brought up for discussion every five years.
Now, along with the urban-county council, those plans are represented in six themes for the public to review. Each theme has at least one goal and a series of ways to fulfill it.
Those are:
- Growing and sustaining successful neighborhoods
- Protect the environment
- Creating jobs and prosperity
- Improving a desirable community
- Balancing urban use and rural use
- Implementing the plan for this city
Lexington’s Division of Planning Manager Chris Taylor said, “This time, what makes it easier than the last time is that more people care about it so there’s a lot more engagement on topics like the environment and equity or things that need to happen in this field.”
Recently, concerns for expansion to its urban service boundary grew around the city.
For Klosterman, he’s concerned with getting around busy roads and environmental impacts. “I can’t bike to stores so working remotely all I need to do is leave to get groceries, but I’ve got Nicholasville Road there, which is crazy so I can’t bike across it,” Klosterman said.
Taylor says that’s one reason they added goals like reducing Green House Gas emissions.
“Climate change is something that has never been directly addressed in our comprehensive plan, but I think that it’s becoming much more a part of people’s consciousness so there’s a very specific request on how we propose to deal with that,” Taylor explained.
