Empower Lexington plans for a sustainable community

After 12 years, Empower Lexington: A Plan for a Resilient Community has undergone a significant update. The plan is a community-wide effort, addressing the ways individuals, businesses and organizations, alongside government, can support a resilient community. Sustainability is not just about the environment but also the economy, quality of life and equity.

The Empower Lexington Plan was originally developed in 2012. That initial document laid the groundwork for additional conversations about sustainability and the City's role, leading to:

• The design of higher efficiency buildings and lower-carbon operations, as exemplified by the LEED Gold Senior Center, the installation of solar panels on multiple government buildings and the transition of the city's waste trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas.
• The creation of a Sustainability Section within the Division of Environmental Services focused on promoting sustainability county-wide and assisting outside entities with their sustainability-related efforts.
• The development of the Solarize Lexington Program which has led to the installation of 78 systems on privately-owned property; 50 of which have been installed through a city-funded grant program for low- to moderate-income households while an additional 34 applications have been approved.
  

The updated plan builds upon that progress and supports other City efforts, such as the Complete Streets Plan and the Imagine Lexington 2045 Plan. In addition, a full Greenhouse Gas Inventory is expected to be conducted every two years.

Groups of community members met to discuss and develop goals and strategies for the updated plan. Public feedback was gathered at multiple points in the process through meetings and surveys and will continue to be an important part of future actions.

Council approved the updated plan in late August. This action gives the Sustainability Section the ability to move forward with implementing the plan, as well as the flexibility to continue its work with community partners to modify the plan as needed.

Highlights of the new plan include:

• Increasing the tree canopy from 23% to 30% within the Urban Service Boundary.
• Ensuring that 70% of homes (apartments or houses) are within a half mile of a greenspace or park.
• Building shared trails and creating safe routes for biking and walking.
• Expanding and improving public transportation options.
• Preserving historic buildings while promoting thoughtful infill and redevelopment.
• Reducing the number of Lexingtonians experiencing homelessness through policies and partnerships.
• Supporting the development of good jobs and effective job training programs.

Next steps for the plan include setting timelines for specific actions and milestones. Public input will continue to be a key part of the process.

In addition to LFUCG's Empower Lexington Plan, there is an effort to create a regional Climate Action Plan involving Fayette plus Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Scott and Woodford Counties. Meetings for those efforts, funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, are currently underway and will continue through this fall.