Lexington Moves to Streamline Development as Sewer Expansion Plans Advance
City leaders in Lexington have development on their minds.
During their meeting on Monday, the city council heard about a new procedure to streamline and standardize the process for applying for certain documents, permits and approvals for development requests.
The city also accepted a $1.97 million grant to start planning sewer expansion to the Samet industrial site within the Lexington city limits near Linwood.
Josh Monk, Lexington City Planner with the Lexington Business and Community Development Office, said the reason for standardizing operating procedures was in response to the steady increase in development activity and the need for more streamlined, accessible and detailed guidance for both applicants and city departments.
“With all of this development comes challenges for both developers and staff,” said Monk. “What we wanted to do is bring everything together in one standardized document for each kind of development, whether you are doing a large commercial development or residential.”
He said these standardized operating procedures will provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to apply for various permits and approvals. They will explain which documents are required, who to contact, and what to expect at each stage of the process.
The new procedure will include specific guidelines for projects including large subdivisions, commercial development, new housing and smaller residential projects such as storage buildings, garages, signs and fences.
Each SOP will include relevant contact information, links to online forms or maps, and tips for navigating the process. Monk said these new procedures will also help ensure consistency, efficiency and coordination for departments across the city.
“We already have these processes in place, this just centralizes everything to one location. It is going to help support development and for the city to provide clarity with our regulations,” said Monk. “We see this as an important step in supporting smart growth and improving our service to the development community.”
The new procedures include a process for development requests from initial contact to technical review, pre-review for planning and zoning, construction of infrastructure, permitting through the completion of the project.
Monk said once these standardized operating procedures are completed, staff will hold a series of workshops for developers unveiling the new process.
With the prospect of new development in the forefront, the Lexington City Council approved acceptance of a $1.97 million Directed Projects grant from the 2023 Appropriations Act, Session Law 2023-134, administered through the Drinking Water Reserve and Wastewater Reserve.
The money will go to fund the design and planning phase of the sewer extension project for a new industrial park.
In 2021, the city annexed approximately 773 acres of property in Linwood near I-85, at the request of the property owners, Samet Corporation, for large-scale industrial use. The company plans on developing the property into a new industrial park over the next 20 years.
