In the ongoing concern over approval for a soccer complex in an agricultural-rural zone of Lexington's Fayette County, the Fayette Alliance, Greg Goodman, Don Robinson, and Lisa Lourie have appealed the Board of Adjustment's approval of a conditional use proposal by Anderson Communities in conjunction with and on behalf of Lexington Sporting Club to develop commercial soccer facilities on land that was once Ashwood Training Center on Russell Cave Road.
Fayette Alliance, a non-profit of citizens dedicated to achieving equitable, sustainable growth in Lexington-Fayette County through land-use advocacy, education, and research, has also filed an Open Records Request to uncover additional information regarding the process by which recommendations for approval were made and ultimately adopted.
“This proposal threatens Lexington's signature agricultural and equine industries by reversing course on the historic land-use precedent that protects the land they depend on from inappropriate urban development–something our community has honored for decades,” said Fayette Alliance Executive Director Brittany Roethemeier. “Not only did the Board of Adjustment dismiss the earnest testimony of dozens of concerned citizens and hundreds of letters written in opposition, but they also ignored all of the most protective of the Planning Staff's 19 recommended conditions of approval that were designed to mitigate the adverse consequences generated by the soccer complex. Fayette Alliance questions the legal basis for the approval of this proposal, and we look forward to making our case against it in court on behalf of the entire Lexington-Fayette community.”
Anderson Communities did not present any studies or traffic management plans at the hearing. According to the Fayette Alliance, Anderson Communities also did not engage with the Division of Traffic Engineering beforehand. In addition, according to the Fayette Alliance, the Board of Adjustment also disregarded a local law requiring them to review “potential impacts to any identified environmentally sensitive area,” such as the millions of gallons of polluted stormwater that the development would potentially generate and feed into nearby Cane Run Creek. According to the Fayette Alliance, the conditional use request was approved without requiring the applicant to address the concerns raised during an environmental expert's testimony.
“The purpose of the [agricultural-rural] zone is to preserve the rural character and nationally significant soils that are synonymous with the Lexington we know and love. We are therefore disturbed by the approval of this disruptive proposal, especially given the substantial amount of unrebutted testimony about safety concerns over existing roadway capacity and adverse environmental impacts,” Bruce Simpson of Rose Grasch Camenisch Mains PLLC said. “The entire process has lacked transparency and buy-in from the community.”
On Thursday, the Planning Commission will consider two zoning ordinance text amendments (ZOTAs) that would permit lights, concessions, and retail sales at the site as well as a 10,000-person stadium, thousands of surface parking spaces, and commercial use in the nearby Economic Development zone. Approval of these ZOTAs would potentially bring unintended consequences to the Bluegrass farmland that has supported the community's sustainable and responsible growth since it came under protection in 1958.
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