The Urban Growth Management Plan Advisory Committee heard public input about proposed expansion

At September 12th’s Urban Growth Management Plan Advisory Committee meeting, members got a guided bus tour of the five expansion areas that are under consideration. The purpose was to help the committee gain visual context for where the Urban Service Boundary may extend. This meeting was for information only, and no decisions were made.

• Where’s expansion likely to happen again? The five areas under consideration are around Mint Lane and Man O’ War, Royster Road near Winchester Road, and a section between Todds Road and Athens-Boonesboro Road. You can view the areas in the map below.

After the tour, the UGM Committee held a Public Input session for members of the community to give their feedback about these proposed and prioritized areas. A draft map was presented at the Public Input Session that includes all five areas, though the committee voted on September 5th to prioritize area C.

At the Public Input Session, some landowners who reside in the proposed expansion areas told the committee that, should their land be included, they would be willing to develop their property. Other community members shared concerns often discussed with expansion, including environmental concerns of urban sprawl, traffic capacity, and the cost of development on taxpayers.

What happens next?

• The committee only has two more meetings to finalize a draft map to present to the Planning Commission by September 26th.

• The Planning Commission will then vote to accept, reject, or revise the map on either September 28th or October 12th.

• The finalized map will set the boundaries used by a hired consultant to create the Expansion Area Master Plan, which is to be completed by December 1, 2024.

This week, the Committee will meet to discuss the information that they received from the public.

This meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 19th at 10am in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Phoenix Building at 101 Vine St. You can attend in person or watch live on LexTV.