Lexington committee reviews draft Preservation and Growth Management Program; public forum set

The General Government and Planning Committee on Sept. 9 reviewed a draft of Lexington's Preservation and Growth Management Program (LPGMP), a proposed ordinance-format program that would establish a data-driven process to guide preservation, infill and potential additions to the urban service area.

Hal Bailey, manager for long range planning, told the committee the draft stems from goals in the 2023 comprehensive plan and aims "to codify long standing practices in a transparent way" using official data sources. Bailey said the program would use a five-year growth trends report and a 20-year formula that combines Kentucky State Data Center population projections, American Community Survey household-size data, and Lexington building-permit data to calculate residential acreage needs.

The draft emphasizes policy and regulatory changes inside the current urban service area before adding land. Bailey said the Urban County Council would be required to act on regulatory or policy changes to encourage infill and redevelopment before any acreage could be added to the urban service area. "If the Urban County Council sought the option to include additional acreage to the urban service area, they would establish a minimum acreage to act upon. However, there would be a maximum acreage limited to 30 years of residential need," Bailey said.

Why it matters: Committee members and the…