Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2011-04-26)
Listen Now:
null
Mayor Gray following a news conference on Lexington's Urban Service Area
Photo by Weku's Stu Johnson
In the past, Mayor Jim Gray says his community has bickered over how it should manage growth. This time, though, Gray believes the city's planning commission, land preservationists, and many developers are on the same page. There plenty of room for growth inside the existing urban service boundary.
"The bottom line is, we've got an adequate supply today of properties available for development," said Gray.
City planners have already identified some 67 hundred acres of vacant land within the urban service area that can be developed. Commerce Lexington C-E-O Bob Quick agrees with the Mayor. Quick says many in the private sector are content with focusing within the current boundary.
"There's a lot of different things that we can do to support growth. You know taking land right now that's undeveloped. What's a better way to develop that or zone it," said Quick.
Knox van Nagell (NAHG-uhl) directs the Fayette Alliance, which is a land use advocacy organization. Van Nagell says there's plenty of interest downtown among young professionals and senior citizens.
"We're gonna' have to be really imaginative about how we grow this city in a dynamic way that's not only good for economic development but can also really meet the market needs of gen y and retiring baby boomers," explained van Nagell.
A review of the comprehensive plan occurs once every five years. The urban service boundary was last expanded in 1996.
© Copyright 2012, WEKU
