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Development news in a nutshell

Understanding Lexington development news

A drone shot of Lexington's downtown area.

It’s your city, share your voice. | Photo courtesy of @dronebufo

It’s natural for us to be curious about the construction that goes on in our city. But if you’ve ever tried to dive into a design review document or attend a neighborhood planning meeting, you may have confronted some pretty confusing phrases.

Here are a few common development-related terms and their basic definitions.

Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)

This document is used to approve changes to properties or buildings within a historic district and ensure they meet local zoning laws.

Example: A new commercial property that is attempting to be built in the historic Black neighborhood along Cadentown Road in 40509 must receive a COA in order to move forward with development.

Zoning code

This refers to the numerical + alphabetical code used to identify a specific piece of land and is used among city planners and government entities.

Example: The code for Interchange Service Business zoning is B-5P. This zoning ordinance ensures that commercial buildings are appropriately built along highway interchange areas to protect travelers.

Mixed-use

This term means that a plot of land, development, or building will be used for both commercial and residential purposes. You’ll see this often with buildings that have a restaurant or store on the first floor and apartments on the floors above it.

Example: Lexington is home to many mix-use developments, such as The Summit at Fritz Farm or the Hub on Campus apartments along South Limestone.

Low-rise, mid-rise + high-rise

Used as a descriptor for zoning types, this quite literally means how generally tall a building should be on a specific parcel of land.

Example: The Fifth Third building, aka the Big Blue Building, would be considered a high-rise. The Shoppes at Main + Rose are described as mid-rise, while many homes would be considered low-rise.

Events

Tuesday, April 11

Free Tax Assistance from AARP | Tuesday, Apr. 11-Wednesday, Apr. 12 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Lexington Public Library, Northside Branch, 1733 Russell Cave Rd., Lexington | Free | Schedule your appointment to speak with an onsite representative about all your tax-filing needs.
Late Nights at Red Mile | Tuesday, Apr. 11-Monday, Oct. 2 | 11 p.m. | Red Mile Gaming & Racing, 1101 Winbak Way, Lexington | Free | Don’t miss Late Night Breakfast with $5 food, late night drawings, live music + more.*

Wednesday, April 12

Grateful Dead Night | Wednesday, Apr. 12 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Kenwick Table, 201 Owsley Ave., Lexington | Free | Take a long, strange trip to hear the Brandon Bowlds + Rob Barnes as they take on some of the Dead’s jammy tunes.
Drag Night | Wednesday, Apr. 12 | 9 p.m. | Al’s Bar, 601 N. Limestone, Lexington | Free | Category 5 Productions presents a night of drag performances from performers like Benita Bloom + Ember Rose.

Thursday, April 13

Free Dentistry Days | Thursday, Apr. 13-Saturday, Apr. 15 | 7 a.m.-5 p.m. | Dental Wellness of Lexington, 527 Wellington Way Ste. 120, Lexington | Free | Residents who can’t afford dental work can make a screening appointment to see if they are eligible to receive free basic dental care like fillings + cleanings.
Disney On Ice | Thursday, Apr. 13-Saturday, Apr. 15 | Times vary | Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St., Lexington | $25-$55 | Disney On Ice presents “Find Your Hero,” an adventure filled with tales of heroism from your favorite stories including Moana, The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, and Beauty & the Beast.
Pony Up for The Nest | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 12-6 p.m. | Keeneland, 4201 Versailles Rd., Lexington | $125 | Enjoy a special dining experience in The Phoenix Room + place bets with the help of an on-site betologist, in support of local nonprofit, The Nest.

Saturday, April 15

Bluegrass Creative Market- Spring Edition | Saturday, Apr. 15-Sunday, Apr. 16 | 12-5 p.m. | The Summit at Fritz Farm Barn, 120 The Summit at Fritz Farm, Lexington | Free*

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Festival

Kentucky has more barrels of bourbon than people

Presented by an INDYtoday partner

If you want to watch the Barrel Rolling World Championship competition, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is the right place. | Photo by Zach Sinclair via Grizzly Media

True story. The Bluegrass state is also home to one of the country’s original whiskey festivals, held for the past 32 years in Bardstown, KY — the Bourbon Capital of the World.

This fall, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival returns Sept. 15-17 with:

Sampling from 50+ Kentucky distilleries
Engaging programming
Over a dozen food trucks
Opportunities to buy bottles of bourbon directly from distilleries

For bourbon lovers, this is a can’t-miss event. Sign up to become a Kentucky Bourbon Festival Insider — and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.*

Become a Kentucky Bourbon Festival Insider

News Notes

History

Helm Place, which was once home to Mary Todd Lincoln’s half-sister, has been sold. The antebellum-era house that was previously owned by the Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, is located off Harrodsburg Road and will become the home of the buyers. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Tech

Researchers at UK have received a $3.1 million grant for overdose analysis. With the money, The Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky team will analyze data from overdose prevention programs + use artificial intelligence to identify the best ways to predict and prevent opioid overdoses. (The Lane Report)

Cause

Shaker Village has an update about its Carriage House, which was destroyed following March’s windstorms. The team has managed to save some of the house’s original lumber and raised $3,800 of the $10,000 needed to reconstruct the historic building. You can donate here.⁠

Drink

Keurig lovers, rejoice. Coffee Times Coffee House has announced that its in-house coffee is now available in K-cup pods. Now you can enjoy a sip from one of Lexington’s favorite coffee shops at any hour without braving the storm that is Nicholasville Road.

Real Estate

Christie’s International Real Estate is teaming up with the Ball Family to create a new brokerage firm called Christie’s International Real Estate Bluegrass. The new company will have 50+ agents representing a total ~$300 million in annual sales across a variety of properties.

Try This

Think you could turn one of our newsletters into a poem? Spread your creative wings with our poetry contest. The rules: Craft a 75-word or less poem using the words that appeared in our Wednesday, April 5 newsletter. Submit before Sunday, April 16 for a chance at a LEXtoday feature.

Home

Looking to spruce up your living space or furnish your home? Then now is the perfect time to head to Dogwood Home Furnishings — the store is throwing a huge Retirement Sale, with unbeatable discounts on their collection of sofas, chairs, dinings sets + more — all top quality and American-made.*

Finance

One card, all the perks. A $200 welcome bonus, unlimited cash back, and 0% interest into 2024 all with no annual fee almost sounds too good to be true — but this card has it all.*

Today Is

Today is National Pet Day. Celebrate your fur babies with our brand partner, Hannah Chloe Co. From bandanas to bows, your adorable pet will appreciate these gifts. Shop now.

Travel

Itching to take a vacation? We’re always in support of time off + self care — so we’ve rounded up five drool-worthy vacation spots to help you plan. This oceanfront suite in Bermuda is one of our favorites on the list. See the rest.

Outdoors

Parks and Recreation events we’re excited for

The Parks department is hiring a Recreation Leader for its Extended School Program. | Photo courtesy of @lexkyparks

Whether you want a new job or to dabble in a hobby, Lexington’s Parks and Recreation Department has plenty of options.

Pro tip: Some events require registration so be sure to check the city’s website.

Sunday, April 16

Bird + Wildflower Walks, Raven Run Nature Sanctuary | 4-5:30 p.m.

Hike + learn to identify various species of birds at one of Lexington’s premier birding destinations.

Saturday, April 15

Junior Naturalists: Spring!, McConnell Springs | 10-11:30 a.m.

Kids can immerse themselves into the Bluegrass’ habitat with guided activities and programming.

Friday, April 21

Honeysuckle Hunt Volunteers, McConnell Springs | 1-2 p.m.

While the sweet smells of honeysuckle are tempting, parks staff are asking for help to hunt down the invasive species.

Tuesday, April 25

Summer Job Fair, Artworks at Carver School | 4-7 p.m.

Discover new job opportunities across the department, including in athletics, camps + maintenance.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Aayat

From the editor

By now we’ve all seen the tragedy that occurred in Louisville yesterday. Being neighborly during times of crises is important, so reach out to loved ones and help connect them to the necessary resources to support them and learn more about volunteer opportunities around the city.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn which major companies call Lexington their headquarters.

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