Changes coming to development plan regulations and approval process due to state legislation

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In Tuesday’s General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee, Traci Wade of the Division of Planning will present an overview of how 2024’s House Bill 443 will affect Lexington’s process for approving development plans.

House Bill 443 was passed by the State legislature in 2024. The bill says that cities must have “objective standards” for development regulations, and that those standards must be applied “ministerially” — meaning that there should be no room for personal interpretation or discretion in how development plans are approved or disapproved.

A lot of Lexington’s zoning and development regulations are not objective under House Bill 44. Words such as “encouraged,” “recommended,” “should,” “adequate,” and more are found throughout Lexington’s planning regulations as they relate to building design, pedestrian facilities, and much more. Below is an example provided in the presentation slides.

Republished from CivicLex.

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https://civiclex.org/weekly-posts/changes-coming-to-development-plan-regulations-and-approval-process-due-to-state-legislation

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Adrian Paul Bryant is CivicLex’s Civic Information Specialist, reporting on City Hall meetings and local issues that affect Lexingtonians every day. Raised in Jackson County, Adrian is a lifelong Kentuckian who is now proud to call Lexington home.