Fayette Alliance unsure of how long a court battle over Lexington’s expansion could last

WEKU | By Stu Johnson

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington non-profit with a focus on land use is seeking a re-do on the question of expansion when it comes to the urban county services boundary. Fayette Alliance and four individuals have filed a lawsuit asking the Court to intervene. The Lexington City Council in June voted to allow for an expansion between 27 hundred and 5000 acres. Brittany Roethemeier is the executive director of Fayette Alliance.

“We know that our community needs solutions that related to growth and development and more affordable housing options and more jobs and everything in between. And so, we will continue to advocate for good process,” said Roethemeier.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim the Council’s decision was arbitrary and not based on objective research and data. Roethemeier said she has no feel for how long it will take to resolve the issue in court.

She said her group doesn’t have a suggestion when it comes to new acres within the boundary.

“We don’t know because the study hasn’t been done to tell us what we need or why we need it or where we need it. And so that’s really, throughout this work, those have been the questions of what data do we need as a community to make these informed decisions,” said Roethemeier.

Roethemeier noted that kind of information is lacking. She added a sewer-ability study, due out in a month or so, should help answer the question of where sewers are possible and the cost. Rothemeier also said the Council erred in voting on expansion. She said that should have been done by the Planning Commission.

WEKU reached out and two Urban County Council members said their law department has advised them not to comment on litigation.

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Photo by Stu Johnson, WEKU

Republished with permission.