LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council unanimously approved the Preservation and Growth Management Program on February 12, establishing the first formalized process in nearly 70 years for deciding whether and how to expand the city's Urban Service Boundary.

The program establishes a data-driven framework to guide future decisions about the boundary, which controls where urban services like water, sewer, and city garbage collection are provided. The Lexington Preservation and Growth Management Program must be formalized by August 31, 2026, according to the city's Comprehensive Plan adopted in June 2023.

The approval caps a months-long public engagement process that included community input sessions, council work sessions, and written feedback from residents. The program prioritizes infill and redevelopment of land already inside the boundary before considering expansion. It also establishes an annual growth report and data center to track housing, jobs, and commercial development trends.

"This is a great opportunity for us to work with the community to establish this long-discussed and much-needed data-driven process that helps us preserve our rural areas while also meeting Lexington's growth needs for the future," said Councilmember Liz Sheehan, chair of the General Government and Planning Committee.

The Urban Service Boundary was last expanded in 1996, when approximately 8 square miles were added. The planning commission recommended a 2,800-acre expansion in five locations across Fayette County in 2023, sparking contentious debate between those who say expansion is needed for housing and jobs and those concerned about preserving farmland and preventing urban sprawl.

The program is expected to be used for the first time in 2030. It will establish a subcommittee to evaluate expansion applications, with specific expertise in areas including agriculture, farmland, soil, water, and ecology. The framework includes caps on the number of acres that can be added for housing needs and emphasizes agricultural land protection and proximity to conserved lands.

Conservation advocates urged several improvements to prioritize infill and redevelopment over expansion. The Fayette Alliance noted that redevelopment could meet housing needs equal to the most recent expansion, and recommended establishing specific targets for infill and redevelopment before considering vacant land.