Division of Planning reviews Imagine Lexington 2045 work: 117 implementation tasks, new outreach section and public data hub launched

Planners gave the commission a year‑end status update on implementation of Imagine Lexington 2045, related studies and departmental changes on Jan. 23, highlighting a new outreach section and a public data portal.

Kenzie Gleeson, the newly appointed manager of Outreach and Strategic Planning, said the division has 117 implementation tasks in the comprehensive plan. "About 11% have been completed so far," Gleeson said, and roughly 40% have not yet seen substantial work. Gleeson outlined major ongoing efforts including the Urban Growth Master Plan (UGMP), a Complete Streets action plan, the Nicholasville Road feasibility study, the Campus-to-Commons connectivity plan, a Greenway master plan, and the Climate Action Plan (including an emissions dashboard tool called ClimateView).

Gleeson described the new Outreach and Strategic Planning section’s goals: increase public understanding of planning principles, broaden engagement, run demonstration projects and help implement adopted plans. She said the new unit had filled two of four positions and will continue hiring.

Hal Bailey and other managers reviewed recent planning activity and casework statistics. Bailey reported 18 zoning map amendment cases in the preceding year (13 approved, 3 denied, 2 pending) and about 100 major development-plan applications consistent with recent historical volumes. He noted a large rise in Board of Adjustment work—driven in part by conditional-use permit filings for short‑term rentals—and pointed to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) filings increasing after council changes in 2023.

Data and transparency: staff launched the Imagine Lexington Data Research Center as a public-facing clearinghouse for planning data. The web portal groups community demographics, land use, environment and other datasets; staff said the platform is intended for monthly/quarterly updates, downloadable tables, and accessibility. "We want to update our data more frequently so people have the information they need to make decisions," Bailey said.

Staff also summarized completed and ongoing studies: the UGMP (adopted October 2024) which sets a baseline 16,000 dwelling-unit target for expansion areas; the Campus-to-Commons bicycle/pedestrian connections; the Liberty Road trail link; the Nicholasville Road feasibility study (9–18 months remaining); and the Complete Streets design manual update. Planners said some tasks will require interdepartmental coordination (traffic engineering, environmental services) and outside grant funding for capital projects.

Ending: Managers asked commissioners to review posted materials, attend outreach events, and consider the new data portal as staff continues to add maps and datasets. Staff said the division will remain available to neighborhood groups and commissioners as regulatory changes, studies and outreach continue.