LFUCG offers limited density bonuses for affordable housing through Imagine Lexington policy and zoning text amendments. There is no automatic statewide density bonus law in Kentucky like California's.
Kentucky lacks a statutory density bonus mandate, so any density increase for affordable housing must come from LFUCG's own zoning ordinance and Imagine Lexington policy. The Comprehensive Plan supports affordability by encouraging higher-density zoning along corridors served by LexTran transit and infill in established neighborhoods. Developers proposing affordable units may seek a zone change or text amendment offering bonus units, reduced parking, or relaxed setbacks, subject to Planning Commission and Urban County Council approval. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund, administered through Lexington Housing Initiatives, complements zoning incentives with capital subsidies. Each project is evaluated case-by-case.
Failure to deliver promised affordable units after receiving a density bonus can trigger zoning enforcement, conditional-use permit revocation, and recapture of any subsidies through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund agreement.
Lexington, KY
Imagine Lexington encourages higher-density, mixed-use development along LexTran corridors and at major activity centers, but Lexington has no formal Transit...
Lexington, KY
Imagine Lexington (2024 Comprehensive Plan update) is the city's master land-use document, guiding zoning, infrastructure, and the Urban Service Boundary. It...
See how Lexington's density bonus law rules stack up against other locations.
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