Fayette County approves rezonings for proposed U.S. Soccer training campus, sets traffic and utility conditions

The Fayette County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 11 to rezone four parcels along Veterans Parkway and Lee’s Mill Road from R‑70 to A‑R to allow a proposed recreational complex identified by the Fayette County Development Authority as a U.S. Soccer training center and corporate headquarters.

Planning and Zoning Director Debbie Bell told the board the Planning Commission recommended conditional approval for all four petitions. The board approved Petition Nos. 1335‑23A, 1335‑23B, 1335‑23C and 1335‑23D by 4–0 votes with Commissioner Edwards Gibbons absent; all approvals included staff‑recommended conditions.

Why it matters: the development team and the Development Authority have described the project as a national training center for U.S. Soccer’s national teams — a non‑stadium campus of training fields, ancillary support buildings and limited amenities — that proponents say could raise the county’s profile and generate economic activity. Opponents told the board they fear lighting, noise, traffic and loss of rural character, and asked for guaranteed buffers and more public engagement before approvals proceed.

Key conditions and project details - Petition 1335‑23A (22.9674 acres): developer must fund a Traffic Impact Study and implement mitigation identified in a county‑approved MOU; maximum of four curb cuts along Veterans Parkway with at least one entrance aligned across the parkway; specified remnant parcels must be consolidated within six months or before site‑plan submittal; developer to install a 16‑inch water line along the east side of Veterans Parkway at its expense. - Petition 1335‑23B (237.4382 acres): comparable traffic‑study and mitigation requirement; 50‑foot right‑of‑way dedication along Lees Mill Road where needed; primary construction entrance required on Veterans Parkway (one temporary Lees Mill construction entrance allowed under limits); maximum of four curb cuts on Veterans Parkway and a maximum of one curb cut on Lees Mill Road; west‑side parcels to be combined within six months; 16‑inch water line requirement for parcels needing service. - Petition 1335‑23C (39.6621 acres) and Petition 1335‑23D (18.4863 acres): staff recommended and the board adopted similar conditions to B — right‑of‑way dedication along Lees Mill Road, developer‑funded traffic study and mitigation, primary Veterans Parkway construction access with limited temporary Lees Mill entrance, curb‑cut limits, parcel consolidation timelines, and the 16‑inch water line requirement where applicable.

What the county and applicant said Nikki Vanderslice, representing the Fayette County Development Authority, said the U.S. Soccer Federation selected Fayette County for a training facility and corporate headquarters and that the campus would include about 12–14 fields to serve the organization’s 27 national teams. "There would not be a stadium and would be a training facility for the 27 national teams," Vanderslice said, and she pledged community meetings before final plans are filed.

Commissioner Eric K. Maxwell said he supported the project in principle but criticized the timing and completeness of materials provided to the board. "I was frustrated with the lack of transparency and lack of information regarding this request," Maxwell said, urging the Development Authority to include development team members at future briefings.

Environmental and traffic concerns Commissioners and residents pressed the applicant on wetlands and floodplain impacts. Vanderslice said the overall property totals about 321 acres, with roughly 120 acres in the 200‑year floodplain; wetlands were incorporated within that floodplain acreage. Board members asked that traffic effects be addressed through the required Traffic Impact Studies and that remedies be defined in future memoranda of understanding.

Public comment Residents who spoke in favor cited potential job creation and international exposure; residents opposing the rezonings emphasized lighting, noise, privacy, the need for buffers, entrance location controls and additional community engagement. Fayette County Development Authority leadership and the applicant committed to host neighborhood meetings during the development review process.

Next steps Rezoning approvals allow the applicant to seek site plans and permits consistent with A‑R zoning and the conditions the board adopted. The Traffic Impact Studies, right‑of‑way dedications, parcel consolidations and water‑utility installations are among the next required steps before construction permits can be issued. The board’s votes do not themselves approve site plans, construction or operational details; those will return for county review and permit approvals.