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Planning Panel Greenlights Squires Road Development

Josh James
/
WUKY
Squires Road project opponents watch as council hears testimony and debates project for seven hours on April 18, 2017.

A contested development slated for a scenic area of Lexington has been given the go-ahead by the city’s main planning body.

Ball Homes’ plan to develop a peninsula surrounded by a Kentucky American Water Reservoir off Squires Road sparked intense debate and a marathon 7-hour Urban County Council meeting back in April. But now, the proposal – which includes hundreds of homes and apartments, along with land for a possible middle school – received a final 6-1 vote by the planning commission Thursday.

Nick Nicholson, a Ball Homes attorney, said the city has done its due diligence.

"You all have done your duty," he said. "You did it at the conditional zoning phase, and by upholding this development plan and what the staff is asking you to do, you'll do it again today."

But neighbors saw room for improvement in the plan, pressing the commission to include additional protections for the buffer zone between the waterline and the development. Neighborhood resident Suzanne Bhatt said extra requirements were needed "to protect existing habitat for the many birds and animal species that inhabit peninsula, as a filter to protect water quality in Reservoir 4, and to preserve the character of the existing neighborhoods."

The commission, however, made no changes to the development proposal.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.
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