Chronology of Major Planning and Growth Management Actions

1781	First Town Plat
1831	Lexington Incorporated as a city of approximately 6,000 with approx. 15,500 in rural Fayette Co.
19th century	Kentucky divided into smaller and smaller counties, Fayette County shrank to 284 sq. mi. Bluegrass region is primarily rolling, savannah grasslands with topsoil rich in lime and phosphate. 7 towns within 10-40 miles developed colleges and the Univ. of Kentucky began in Lexington.
1920	Zoning Ordinance for Residential District
1928	City County Planning Commission
1930	Subdivision Regulations
1930	Citywide Zoning, city 46,000, rural area 23,000
1931	Comprehensive (Land Use and Public Facilities) Plan Neighborhood shopping, character, boulevards
1939	County Zoning – 2-mile “belt” around city
1942	Countywide Zoning
1948	First Professional Planner
1950	Comprehensive Plan Elements – Economics, Housing
1953	Sanitary Sewer Plan for urban growth
1950’s	Transportation Plans for By-pass
1958	Industrial Development Foundation brought IBM, Trane and Square D to Lexington Comprehensive Plan Update – Urban Service Area Boundary Historic District Zoning Overlay
1961	Enlarged Professional Staff to seven, (county population 132,000) Continuous, Comprehensive Planning Program Proposal Zone change request outside Urban Service Area rejected without hearing (Upheld by local court, dubious by other standards)
1960’s	Comprehensive Base Studies, Neighborhood plans, Downtown Plan Comprehensive Plan and Update of Comprehensive Plan Major Improvements to Kentucky Enabling Legislation to support, direct planning Regional planning organizations assist small communities
1962	HUD-701 Application
1963	Comprehensive Transportation Plan
1964	Health Department adopts 10 acre requirement for new lots for septic fields
1966	Design Plan for Downtown
1967	City and county school districts merged into one countywide district Urban Service Area refinements includes major contraction of the boundary Revised zoning and subdivision regulations, including ten acre zoning
1969	New Circle Road completed, complementing historic radial road pattern
1970’s	Neighborhood and Small Area Plans, census analyses Excellent household projections, inaccurate population per household projections
1971	Comprehensive, countywide zoning map amendment
1972	Court Order of school desegregation, busing, school closings and reconstruction
1973	Sanitary Sewers “208” Plan
1973	Comprehensive Plan
1974	City County Consolidation /Merger using Urban Service taxing districts
1975	Growth Management Symposium Capital Improvements Programming began
1976	New Aerial photogrametry and improved base mapping by Planning Division
1977	Legal reports on growth planning
1978	Numerous technical reports for new Comprehensive Plan Economic Base Analysis, Goals and Objectives, Planning and Design Criteria
1978	Fiscal Analyses of alternative growth scenarios Citizen’s Advisory Committee prominent in Comprehensive Plan Update
1980	Comprehensive Plan updated, Urban boundary adjusted Urban Activity Centers and Rural Activity Centers in concept Planning “Tiers” and Transfer of Development Rights debated and rejected Entire Urban Area shows detailed future land use map for first time Major sanitary sewer extension for growth and problem relief
1980’s	Community Development funding emphasized neighborhood infrastructure and rehabilitation Sanitary Sewer extensions implemented in all older, urban, developed but unsewered areas Sanitary Sewer tap on fees, privilege fee arrangements, and prohibition of rural sewers All transportation collectors privately funded, arterials publicly funded Many detailed neighborhood plans for inner city areas Comprehensive Code Enforcement in strategic neighborhoods Development Plans became key tool to managing density, layout and some timing State/Regional economic development decisions impacted by Urban Planning Regional efforts primarily in Area Development District arena
1982	New strong Mayor takes office, places Planning under the Mayor
1983	Capital Improvement Programming suspended Staging Plan drafted and not adopted in favor of market freedom within Urban Boundary Zoning and Subdivision regulation amendment, including park impact fee Downtown Plan developed as internal working document Sign provisions revised; non-conforming sign amortization clauses adopted
1986	First Greenway Park begun on very small scale
1987	Beginning of computerized mapping, ultimately for Geographic Information System
1988	Mayor Chaired Comprehensive Plan Update Committee Comprehensive Plan included infill and redevelopment policies Plan included explicit Urban Service Area Boundary Criteria Comprehensive Plan Update process included detailed land use and boundary change discussions Adequate traffic carrying capacity evaluated with zone changes
1989	Beginning of major Greenspace, open space planning and preservation program.
1990’s	New Inner City Corridor Plan emphasizing redevelopment New Inner City Neighborhood Plan emphasizing neighborhood involvement and responsibility Regional Planning improved in notification and coordination Inter-county planning agreements begun for transportation corridors and water resource basins Nearby counties try rural clustering and 25 acre min. lot State initiates PACE Purchase of Agricultural Easements and TDR legislation with little money Greenways Plan and Corridor Enhancement Study written, not adopted Transportation Planning became a two county effort (Fayette population 224,000 in 1990) Market is tight for urban residential and very tight for commercial land
1993	Beginning of “minor“ (?) Comprehensive Plan Update and detailed area plan
1994	Major public debate over whether or not to expand the urban growth boundary Numerical Calculations of Urban land supply and demand of critical importance Adoption of Greenspace Plan as part of Comprehensive Plan Dependence upon GIS for land use plan and statistics for new Plan 1995 Community decision of growth boundary expansion, with detailed planning Point system to prioritize potential expansion areas proved unhelpful, all were approved Detailed inventory and land capability analysis in rural area
1996	New Comprehensive Plan includes detailed land use and Urban Boundary adjustments Adoption of Expansion Area Master Plan includes: impact fees, assessment districts, neighborhood design concepts, design overlays, density transfer rights, mandatory greenways, major road improvements, stormwater management and open space mitigation Adoption of new zoning ordinance features including all provisions except assessment districts Defeat of comprehensive zone change to pre-zone the entire expansion area Rural 50 acre minimum proposal causes flood of 10 acre subdivisions Draft Rural Land Management Plan, including TDR’s, large lot zoning, and traffic impact control
1997	Inter county agreements result in zoning overlay for rural corridor protection Recently adopted area plan changed through neighborhood-developer negotiations and court proceedings Moratoria frequently used for temporary control, while ordinance or map changes are in progress Frequent down-zoning of inner city residential areas from moderate to less intense residential
1998	Moratoria on rural lot creation
2000	Rural Service Area Land Management Plan and ordinances, including 40 acre rural minimum lot, Purchase of Development Rights, and limited Transfer of Development Rights Water Supply Plan adopted and Aquifer Protection Plan underway
2001	$40 million fund created (25 local, 15 state) to fund Purchase of Development Rights Design Guidelines adopted for courthouse areas; Infill and Redevelopment Study begun Greenway Plan and 2001 Comprehensive Plan Update begun
2001	New Comprehensive Plan Update Adopted
2002	Greenway Master Plan adopted into the 2001 Comprehensive Plan Update