The Lexington City Council is expected to take a final vote this Thursday on the expansion of the urban service area. How and when the additional acreage will be developed remains a question.
The 15-member Urban County Council is set to take action on the updated comprehensive plan. It includes the provision to expand between 27 hundred to 5000 acres. Council action on June first charged the Planning Division with looking at the pace of development. Council Member Jennifer Reynolds said a timeline can’t be established yet.
“There’s a lot of factors that come into play. Making sure, once again, that the sewer ability study is done. I don’t think it will be an overnight thing at all. I think it will take time,” said Reynolds.
While Council has acted to bring in additional acres, development within the current boundary also remains on the agenda. Reynolds said that can mean being clear about available land in speaking with developers.
“We have done things to improve that with our online one-stop shop that explains that. But, I think we could do a little bit more and I hope that we will continue to do that, even with the expansion of the boundary,” said Reynolds.
One issue getting attention is how much additional acreage within the urban service boundary could be used for affordable housing.
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