Dear Neighbors,
On the Table this year will be more important than any previous effort to gather information from the public on what should happen in your neighborhood and in Lexington over the next five years.
A refresher from the OTT web site: “On the Table is [an annual] city-wide conversation that helps us get to know each other better and discuss what is and isn’t working in Lexington. At this year’s On the Table, which runs from April 10 to 16, thousands of residents across Lexington will gather in homes, businesses, libraries, and parks to discuss the present and future of our city.
And this year, in addition to gathering and talking, all participants will complete a survey about how Lexington is growing and changing. [These data] will be used to shape Lexington’s map for the future through the Comprehensive Plan, the city of Lexington’s most important planning document.”
Lexington updates its 20-year Comprehensive Plan every five (5) years, and your attendance at On the Table is the principal opportunity for citizens to have an impact on future planning and zoning decisions. People will meet either in person or online April 10-16 to answer multiple choice questions and to write explanations about their answers. Faculty at the University of Kentucky will be analyzing and quantifying data submitted. CivicLex, an invaluable and nonpartisan source of information regarding the Urban County Government, is coordinating the program with a panel of over 30 people and organizations. A Fayette County Neighborhood Council (FCNC) board member sits on the panel.
The issues are important. They include the Urban Services Boundary, the environment, traffic and other options like walking, bicycling, and public transit, where should development occur, where should development not occur, growth, jobs and the economy, do you like your neighborhood, what would make your neighborhood better, etc. If there was a zone change you liked or did not like during the past five years, that change was allowed because it was felt to have complied with the current Comprehensive Plan. Such changes alone illustrate the importance of the Comprehensive Plan document and the importance of having more public input in formulating the Plan.
Below is information on how to register for On the Table and a list of the questions each participant will be asked to discuss and answer.
I ask that you please
· Register now and mark your calendar.
· Read the questions (at the very bottom, so keep scrolling) and prepare your answer.
· Try to engage neighbors to register and answer the questions.
· Sign up to be a host and get your neighbors involved in assisting in the hosting.
Because the event will not occur until April, there is time to organize and participate. The views of neighborhoods are most likely to be reflected in the next Comprehensive Plan if we have a large number of neighbors participating in On the Table. I anticipate that FCNC will be hosting multiple events. Please consider being one of the hosts.
We will communicate further via email and will follow up to encourage registration. FCNC will provide an explanation on some of the planning issues involved within some of the questions. We will try to explain that some of the questions are not as simple as they seem.
And by the way:
Our first General Meeting of the year will be on Monday, March 14.
We have not yet decided on the topic of the meeting or whether it will be in-person or virtual.
Please also mark your calendar for our general meeting.
Stay safe!
Walt Gaffield, President
Fayette County Neighborhood Council, Inc.
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ON THE TABLE Click to register: Register here
Here are the questions that all attendees of On the Table will be asked to answer. Although they are multiple choice, it is likely that you will want to add information to provide a fuller picture of your feelings on each issue FCNC will contact you again via email in the weeks before On the Table, perhaps with a discussion of the issues behind the questions.
Questions
1. Do you like living in your neighborhood? What would make your neighborhood a better place to live?
Yes, I like living in my neighborhood
I like living in my neighborhood, but it could use some changes
No, I do not like living in my neighborhood
2. Do you think protecting the environment should be a high priority in Lexington? What do you think should be done to protect the environment in Lexington?
Yes, I think protecting the environment should be a high priority
I think protecting the environment is good, but it shouldn’t be a high priority
No, I don’t think protecting the environment should be a high priority
3. Do you think Lexington is a place where everyone can succeed financially? What do you think would help make Lexington a place where everyone can have financial success?
I think almost everyone can succeed financially in Lexington
I think that some people can succeed financially in Lexington
I think very few people can succeed financially in Lexington
4. Over the past 50 years, Lexington has been designed mostly for cars. How important do you think it is for Lexington to prioritize other transportation options like walking, biking, and public transit vs prioritizing cars over the next 20 years? What do you think should be done to improve transportation in Lexington?
I think it’s more important for the city to prioritize walking, biking, and public transit.
I think it is equally important for the city to prioritize cars, walking, biking, and public transit
I think it’s more important for the city to prioritize cars
5. Lexington is growing, and over the next 20 years, new developments could be built downtown, along major roads, in existing neighborhoods, and on farmland. Do you think growth in Lexington is a good thing? Where do you think new growth should happen in Lexington and what should it look like?
I think growth in Lexington is always a good thing
I think growth in Lexington is a good thing, depending on how it happens
I think growth in Lexington is a bad thing
6. Finally, think about Lexington as a whole. Do you like living or spending time in Lexington? What do you think would make Lexington a better place for you to live or spend time in?
Yes, I like living/spending time in Lexington
I like living/spending time in Lexington, but it could use some changes
No, I do not like living/spending time in Lexington