LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — People who live near a planned apartment complex near the intersection of Man O' War Boulevard and Polo Club could soon be feeling the squeeze of the urban services boundary.
Brad Wallace said that when he and his wife were house hunting two years ago, a home in Blackford Oaks seemed perfect.
"We thought 'Wow, this was great.' Cul-de-sac, everyone wants to be in a cul-de-sac. No houses across from us," said Wallace.
Now, Wallace said he is worried a plan by Ball Homes to build approximately 350 apartments nearby could change that.
"I feel like we kind of got duped now because we were... because they kind of just changed the rules," said Wallace.
On Thursday night, despite more than 50 letters and a petition against the change with more than a thousand signatures, the Planning Commission approved a proposal to change the zoning of the land near Wallace's home.
The proposal will allow the apartment project to move forward. Commission member Fran Penn said the 2019 decision to not expand the urban services boundary means there will have to be more density on available land inside it.
"I guess it's the old addage, you can't fight city hall. You know, they're going to do what they're going to do, so I don't think we really matter to them," said Wallace.
However, the proposal still has to be heard by the Urban County Council.
A lawyer for Ball Homes, Nick Nicholson, said at the meeting that, according to a recent study, about 6,000 apartments are needed to meet local housing needs.
