 October 2016 Update Lexington's Talk of the Tenth It's finally fall which seems to be the busiest but most beautiful season in Lexington. My office has been very busy working on the issues that are most important to you. I firmly believe that government should be responsive to your needs and while I may not be able to solve your issue, I commit to trying. We are tackling traffic and stormwater head on. I am very pleased with how you have joined with us in filling out surveys, spreading the word and attending public meetings. You will find results and next steps to much of this work in the newsletter. I'd love to attend your next neighborhood function. If you want a police officer to help educate your community on best practices for protecting your home and neighborhood be sure to let me know. We are happy to help serve you. I hope to see you at my next coffee or out and about in the 10th! -Amanda Stormwater Projects Public Meeting Hill N Dale, Rosemill, Southland Neighbors invited October 25th, 6:30pm Hill N Dale Christian Church Fellowship Room If you live in the Southland, Hill-N-Dale, Rosemill area please join Councilmember Bledsoe and representatives from the Division of Water Quality for a public information and information-gathering meeting on upcoming capital projects to address stormwater quality and flooding issues. The Council was presented a plan to merge several drainage and water quality projects in the Southland, Hill-N-Dale, Rosemill, Picadome area. This project and the resulting measures are important because it will move the City of Lexington towards Consent Decree compliance, improve public safety concerns of flooding streets, reduce sanitary sewer overflows, and limit pollutants from entering our waterways. Join Me for Coffee + Councilmember Southland Perk October 26th, 9am Join Councilmember Bledsoe for her regular Coffee with the Councilmember. These sessions at Southland Perk have been fantastic to connect with people, and it is the Councilmember's honor to bring local issues to you. Southland Drive Community Input a Huge Success The Retrofitting the Retro community input meeting on October 5th was a huge success thanks to the efforts of the Division of Planning and the University of Kentucky students. We had approximately 100 people in one room talking about the future of Southland Drive. The input will be incorporated into the student’s final master plan for the corridor as well as the new sidewalks being designed for Southland Drive. As part of the visioning process, the City has also received a grant from the Blue Grass Community Foundation and the John S and James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund to create a pop-up green space in the corridor. In the past few years, the Southland corridor has undergone significant improvements with new businesses and community involvement. This pop-up green space will continue the progress on Southland, enhance the publicly funded sidewalk project and provide an avenue for local businesses to come together with the strong neighborhood support and celebrate the uniqueness this corridor has to offer. Additionally the students’ Design Week Concepts were presented to those attending. You can view these broad conceptually designs here. Southland Sidewalks Survey and Idea Board Launched For those who were not able to attend the community input meeting, we need to know how you use Southland Drive, what you want to see from future projects, and get your ideas for the Southland Corridor to incorporate into the final Southland sidewalk design. Please take the Southland Drive Survey to let us know how you use the corridor and what you want to see. You can also post ideas to the Southland Idea Board to share location specific ideas for the corridor. The more feedback we get, the better our projects will be, so tell your friends and neighbors! Take the Southland Drive Survey The Area Residents Provide Feedback on Beaumont Traffic Councilmember Bledsoe and City of Lexington Traffic Engineering surveyed the public on congestion in the Beaumont Centre Corridor for the initial data collection phase on the Beaumont Traffic Study. The online survey was disseminated on Councilmember Bledsoe’s Facebook, newsletter, through neighborhood leaders and email. In additional to online feedback, the Councilmember hosted feedback sessions for both residential and commercial associations in late September. This feedback will be invaluable for the outside engineering firms, Stantec, who has been selected to develop short-term and long-term solutions for the area. Final results from the study will be available in the spring of 2017. Several major trends arose from the survey that were outside the scope of the Traffic Study but provide valuable insight about the public interests for the area. Growth There is no doubt Lexington is growing at a consistently strong rate, especially along the Harrodsburg Road. Every five years, the City's Department of Planning adopts a Comprehensive Plan. The plan is the guiding tool for development in the city used by the Planning Department and the Planning Commission. The city will begin the public engagement portion of the plan in February of 2017. Councilmember Bledsoe encourages residents to be involved and has shared the survey results with the Division of Planning. Traffic Enforcement A large number of comments reflected frustrations with drivers blocking the intersections, hazardous driving, and not following traffic rules. Today, while our police department is authorized to a full force of 600, the significant increases in drugs and crime have impacted traffic patrol. In the spring of this year, the city hired and trained safety officers to assist sworn-officers. They will write citations for non-moving violations, help direct traffic, assists with non-injury collisions and motor-assists situations. These Safety Officers will allow our sworn employees to increase the time they spend on traffic complaints that involve moving hazardous violations. Key Traffic Take-Aways The most informative data from the survey included 990 short answers. Overwhelmingly the most appreciated aspect of the transportation system was the double diamond, while the biggest areas of concern were the intersections along Harrodsburg Road, expressly at Beaumont Centre, Old Fieldstone, and Pasadena/ Alexandria. It is important to note, the Kentucky State Transportation Office through District 7 is responsible for state roads, including Harrodsburg, New Circle, Man-of-War, and Parkers Mill. Councilmember Bledsoe has advocated solutions working collaboratively with the KY State District 7 offices and regional transportation groups. Other Take-Aways District Neighborhoods Win Local Grants The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government provides up to $10,000 to support neighborhood associations in carrying out development activities and improvements. Among this year's 17 winners include 10th District neighborhoods, Palomar Hills and Rosemill Neighbors Association. The Neighborhood Action Match grants are due in late summer each year. If you would like to receive a reminder about next year's grant cycle, make sure to keep your mailing list up to date. If you have had any changes with your association, i.e. primary or secondary contacts, phone numbers, emails, websites, etc., please contact Donna Lewis with the Division of Planning at (859) 258-3160 or email. Palomar Zone Change The zone change request filed for the property at 4145 and 4235 Harrodsburg Road is currently proposed to go before the City’s Planning Commission on Thursday, October 27th here at City Hall, 200 East Main Street, in the 2nd Floor Council Chambers at 1:30 pm. A larger version of the plat filed by the developer, pictured below, may be downloaded by clicking here. I encourage all parties to attend this meeting and express your concerns in writing to the members of the Planning Commission who will most likely vote on the matter at the same meeting. To make your concerns part of the public record for the hearing please send concerns to planningmailbox@lexingtonky.gov. Information Items Did You Know? Residents Encouraged to Provide Input on the Importance of Greenspaces in Community-Wide Survey Citizen input has been a driving force in helping shape Fayette County’s greenspace since the inception of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Greenspace Commission in 1990. The Commission is seeking the opinions of Fayette County residents regarding the use and importance of greenspaces, such as parks, trails, or scenic byways, through a community-wide survey. This valuable information will identify needs and priorities that will inform the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government in its planning and management of greenspaces. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and will provide information that will help guide decision making about the future of Fayette County’s greenspace system. Take the Greenspace Survey A Transformational Model Launched for Fayette County Schools Leaders from Fayette County Public Schools, Commerce Lexington, business and industry, community civic organizations and institutions of higher learning started a visioning process for a new high school structure using career academies. Just last week, Councilmember Bledsoe visited schools in Cincinnati with Lexington's leaders to learn about community schools. She's also been active on the team working on the coordinated initiative called the Ford Next Generation Learning. Councilmember Bledsoe believes Superintendent Manny Caulk said it best, “This is a game-changer for our students and our entire community.” Read More Lexington Continues Homelessness Education CampaignCouncilmember Bledsoe is often asked about how residents can assist the homeless population in Lexington. The City of Lexington's Office of Homelessness Prevention & Intervention has launched an education campaign to encourage residents to consider calling 2-1-1 to connect the homeless population with services instead of giving change to panhandlers. Over 10,000 of the following cards have been distributed throughout the community. If you would like more information about the efforts of the office, follow the Office of Homelessness Intervention & Prevention's facebook page. Auto Larceny on the Rise, Lexington Police Remind Neighbors to Take Steps to Prevent Thefts Officers work every day to track down suspects and recover stolen property, however citizens are encouraged to take steps to help stop these crimes of opportunity from happening in the first place. Many of these crimes could have been prevented by not storing or leaving keys in the vehicle, not leaving valuables inside the vehicle, and by keeping it locked. Here are some tips to help lower your chances of becoming a victim of auto theft or a larceny from auto. Watch helpful tips to lower your chance of becoming a victim of theft or larceny. Like the 10th @AmandaMBledsoe Sign-up to receive e-newsletter
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