Downtown Design Excellence Update
As the initiative to implement Downtown Design Excellence Standards and Guidelines moves forward, this post provides a review of the history of the issue and then an update on present progress.
What are the Downtown Design Excellence Standards and Guidelines?
The standards and guidelines are zoning regulations meant to protect the character of downtown Lexington. They give the public a greater voice in the look and feel of the downtown. You can view the proposed standards and guidelines here.
Why is Lexington considering them?
Development projects with potential for major impact on the downtown have been proposed with little or no opportunity for public input. Many stakeholders have suggested that given Lexington’s urban service boundary, we need to stimulate growth downtown that is attractive and conducive to a great American city. The alternative is expansion into the rural areas, which would threaten our signature productive rural landscape.
What are incentives and why are they being supported in parallel with design excellence?
Some stakeholders believe that incentives should be adopted along with the standards and guidelines. In their view, even regulations that foster shared value with design excellence may discourage developments in the urban core. Incentives such as additional staff support, streamlining the development application process, improved public infrastructure, and direct financial assistance are being considered as ways to encourage well-designed growth and make downtown the vibrant heart of Lexington.
Where does the issue of downtown design excellence stand?
The Downtown Design Excellence Task Force approved the Downtown Design Excellence Standards & Guidelines at the end of 2104 and then continued deliberations in the spring of 2015 about accompanying incentives to recommend. Given the complexity of the issue and the likely large number of new Council Members as a result of the fall elections, the Task Force decided to wait until the new Council was seated to move the recommendations forward.
The renewed effort began with a Council workshop in January, 2015 to provide the background and history for new Council Members and to bring all Council Members back up to speed on the issue. As chairperson of the Task Force, I then presented the recommendations at the February 10th, 2015 meeting of the Planning and Public Safety Committee. Following the presentation and discussion the Committee asked for more information on the incentives options available and the status of development in the B2 zones which cover the downtown area.
The Planning and Public Safety Committee again considered the recommendations at its April 14th of 2015 meeting. At the conclusion of that discussion I made a motion to place the recommendations on the Council docket. That motion failed, and the Committee chose to keep the issue on the agenda for further discussion at its next meeting, on May 12th, 2015.
I look forward to concluding the discussion in committee and moving the issue on to the docket for approval by the full Council.
