# Planning Commission to hear Blue Sky updates, downtown master plan  
**Published:** 2026-05-19T11:16:03.000Z  
**Source:** [LFUCG Meeting Agendas](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=4755)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/planning-commission-to-hear-blue-sky-updates-downtown-master-plan

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The [Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a work session Wednesday](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=4755) to discuss three major planning initiatives that could shape Lexington's future, including an update on the Blue Sky Small Area Plan and a progress report on the city's Downtown Area Master Plan.

The 1:30 p.m. meeting at the Phoenix Building will feature a presentation of the Blue Sky First Draft by Sam Castro of [TSW Design, the lead consultant on the small area plan](https://www.imaginelexington.com/plans-projects/blue-sky-works). [The Blue Sky Works initiative aims to reimagine the Blue Sky Activity Center, an industrial park off Athens-Boonesboro Road near I-75 that is Lexington's oldest industrial area and one of its newest growth zones](https://www.blueskylexington.com/about). [The plan includes a first formal attempt to define and regulate data centers in the zoning code](https://www.lexingtonky.news/2026/05/03/as-kentucky-chases-data-centers-a-lexington-draft-would-tell-hyperscalers-no/).

[The Blue Sky Activity Center is home to approximately 150 businesses supporting over 1,000 jobs, with more than 60 percent paying at least $20 per hour in industries including manufacturing, construction, and warehousing](https://www.blueskylexington.com/about). [A public hearing on adding the plan to the comprehensive plan is scheduled for May 28](https://www.lexingtonky.news/2026/05/03/as-kentucky-chases-data-centers-a-lexington-draft-would-tell-hyperscalers-no/).

Boyd O. Sewe, principal planner for long-range planning, will provide a 15-minute update on [the Downtown Area Master Plan, which is designed to establish an actionable vision and strategies for Downtown Lexington](https://www.downtownlexplan.com/). [The plan will address serious challenges including rising housing costs, shifting office space usage, and urban heat islands that threaten the health and momentum of the area](https://www.downtownlexplan.com/about). [Community engagement is the foundation of the effort, which will work with residents, businesses, students, and visitors to accomplish improvements including mobility and connectivity](https://www.downtownlexplan.com/).

The agenda also includes a 15-minute update on the [Solar Work Group, which presented recommendations to the General Government and Planning Committee in March](https://engage.lexingtonky.gov/solar-energy). [The committee voted to send the proposal to the Environmental Commission, Planning Commission, and Rural Land Management Board for feedback and review](https://engage.lexingtonky.gov/solar-energy). [The working group is addressing Lexington's goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050](https://www.lexingtonky.news/2026/05/03/as-kentucky-chases-data-centers-a-lexington-draft-would-tell-hyperscalers-no/), a target outlined in the comprehensive plan.

## Sources

- [LFUCG Meeting Agendas](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=4755)
- [As Kentucky chases data centers, a Lexington draft would tell hyperscalers no - The Lexington Times](https://lexingtonky.news/2026/05/03/as-kentucky-chases-data-centers-a-lexington-draft-would-tell-hyperscalers-no/)
- [Blue Sky Works | City of Lexington](https://www.blueskylexington.com/about)
- [Blue Sky Works Plans and Projects | Imagine Lexington](https://www.imaginelexington.com/plans-projects/blue-sky-works)
- [Lexington Downtown Area Master Plan](https://www.downtownlexplan.com/)
- [About — Lexington Downtown Area Master Plan](https://www.downtownlexplan.com/about)
- [Solar Energy | Engage LexingtonKY](https://engage.lexingtonky.gov/solar-energy)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LFUCG Meeting Agendas, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=4755.