Urban Service Boundary lawsuit dismissed, Planning Commission delays vote on expansion map
USB Expansion Lawsuit Dismissed
Judge Lucy VanMeter has dismissed the lawsuit by Fayette Alliance and property owners over the Urban Service Boundary (USB) expansion. Judge VanMeter wrote that the Fayette Alliance had no standing to sue because the Planning Commission has not held a final vote on the expansion areas.
The USB expansion will not be considered “final” until the vote to approve the Expansion Area Master Plan is held and the expansion land is officially rezoned. The Expansion Plan must be delivered to Council by December 1st, 2024.
According to the Herald-Leader, Fayette Alliance plans to appeal the ruling, which means a different Judge will review the case and either uphold Judge VanMeter’s dismissal, or reverse it and allow the case to proceed.
LFUCG has continued moving along with the expansion process, and will likely continue to do so even if the lawsuit is allowed to proceed through the court system.
You can read the Herald-Leader’s story on the dismissal for more details.
GGP Presentation on USB Expansion Map
In the General Government & Planning (GGP) Committee meeting on October 17th, Director of Planning Jim Duncan presented Councilmembers with an update on the work of the Urban Growth Management (UGM) Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission.
Director Duncan’s brief presentation highlighted the schedule of meetings and timeline of decisions that were made around the recommended map that has been presented to the Planning Commission.
When asked by Councilmember Dave Sevigny what percentage of landowners in the expansion area would be interested in developing their land once they’re able, Director Duncan estimated upwards of 90%.
No action was taken at this meetings.
Planning Commission Discussion
At Planning Commission’s Work Session on October 19th, members began discussion on whether to accept, reject, or revise the proposed USB expansion map.
At this Work Session, many of the Commission Members felt that they were not prepared to make a final decision on the map. Members wanted more time to consider public comment, and are interested in the possibility of connecting or combining areas 4, 5, and 6.
They also asked for the chance to review some of the areas that were discussed by the UGM Committee but were left out of the map. Planning Staff will provide an overview of these areas at the next meeting.
This vote on the proposed USB expansion map will be held at their next public hearing on Thursday, November 9th at 1:30pm in Council Chambers. You can attend this hearing in-person or watch live on LexTV.
