LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Urban County Council voted 10-5 Tuesday to authorize an overhaul of the Mint Lane pump station at its existing location behind Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, rejecting a more expensive proposal to relocate the facility to Mill Ridge Farm near Bowman Mill Road.

The authorization included cost projections of $19.6 million for the Mint Lane location compared to $27.3 million-$29.3 million for the Bowman Mill site. The Mint Lane pump station has been leaking sewage into the area and needs major upgrades to comply with an EPA consent decree the city is under for failures to maintain its sanitary and stormwater sewer systems.

The decision reflected a larger divide over Lexington's development patterns and protection of farmland. Mill Ridge Farm supports a new sewer pump station on its property as the community's best option but some Lexington area farm owners oppose the plan, as they believe it would weaken current standards protecting Fayette County farms from development.

The unparalleled quality of Lexington's soils makes it the world's center of the equine industry, which has been an important part of the region for over 200 years. Some farm owners are concerned making an exception to the urban service boundary rules would make it easier for other farm owners to find ways around them.

Relocating the pump station to Bowman Mill would allow a state-funded wetland restoration project along Cave Creek to move forward, with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife placing a permanent conservation easement along 25 acres. However, the Mint Lane pump station has had more than 13.1 million gallons in sanitary sewer overflows since Jan. 1, 2015, with Mill Ridge Farm being most impacted by that pollution.

Mayor Linda Gorton cited fiscal responsibility in supporting the Mint Lane option. "There is no perfect proposal, so we need to focus on the most fiscally responsible choice that checks all the boxes, and that is Mint Lane," Gorton said, noting the Mint Lane site costs $5.3 million less than the Bowman Mill site.

In other council business Tuesday, members approved multiple contracts and budget items, including a $250,000 agreement with Tunnel, Spangler, Walsh & Associates for development of a Unified Development Code to be completed by June 30, 2027. The council also approved a $50,000 memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club of the Bluegrass for youth programming through June 2027.