“The mission of the Greenspace Trust is to preserve, protect, enhance and maintain the open space throughout the Lexington Urban Service Area and Fayette County.”
The Lexington-Fayette County Greenspace Commission was established by ordinance in 1990 as a citizen-based advisory group to the Urban County Government to incorporate into policy the preservation, management and enhancement of the County’s unique and special character for the economic, educational and general health, safety and welfare of the public.
The Greenspace Commission is the sole member of the Greenspace Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 2002 that assists in implementing and monitoring the Coldstream EPA Consent Decree Project.
Greenspace in Lexington-Fayette County encompasses more than the beautiful rural countryside and urban parks; it includes all of the Urban County’s natural, cultural, historic and visual resources that contribute to the Bluegrass identity and quality of life. A network of greenways serves as a key feature of this system in Fayette County. These corridors connect people to activity nodes (parks, schools, business areas and neighborhoods) while also providing linkages to habitats for wildlife.
Meeting schedule and location
2024 Meeting dates
- Jan. 17
- Feb. 21
- March 20
- April 17
- May 15 – Off campus
- June – No meeting
- July 17
- Aug. – No meeting
- Sept. 18
- Oct. 16 – Coldstream
- Nov. 20
- Dec. – No meeting
Meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month from 3 – 4:15 p.m. at various locations. Click on the meeting materials link to see the next location.
Elected officers
Chair – Russ Turpin
Vice Chair – Jessica Voigt
Secretary – Noland Aull
Treasurer – Ken Cooke
Examples of greenspace include:
- Rural cultural landscapes, including patterns of fields and pastures; houses and outbuildings; barns and fences; rural roads; rural settlements, etc.
- Farms, working lands
- Natural, undisturbed or re-vegetated natural areas and habitat
- Natural resource areas, including prime and soils of statewide significance, streams and floodplains, flora and fauna
- Forests, woods, tree stands, fencerows, riparian vegetation, significant trees, venerable trees
- Kentucky River and Palisades, urban and rural conservation greenways and other environmentally sensitive or geologic hazard areas
- Scenic rural roads and vistas
- Scenic urban streets such as boulevards and parkways
- Street trees and green medians
- Special Design Areas, Scenic Resource Areas (Expansion Area)
- Sports fields, golf courses
- Trails
- Parks
- Gardens, including community, ornamental, therapeutic; sculpture
- Cemeteries, arboretums
- School grounds, college campuses, church lawns, office parks
- Development patterns and structures that recall the County’s founding and history, including historic sites, districts and landscapes found in rural areas, traditional neighborhoods and downtown
- Some open spaces usable as greenspace, including landscaped plazas, courtyards, sidewalk furnishing zones; landscaping and public art, stormwater basins, reservoirs, amphitheaters and pavilions, rail and utility corridors, landscaped gateways and neighborhood entrances
Greenspace Trust projects
Current projects
Coldstream – Profile
Previous projects
Cane Run
Dantzler Court – Press release and Profile
Eureka Springs – Profile
How to become a Greenspace Trustee
To be a Greenspace Trustee, one should:
- Possess general knowledge of and personal interest in greenspace.
- Separate personal and professional interests to support the initiatives of the Trust in an unbiased manner.
- Use professional expertise to guide and advise Trust initiatives.
- Volunteer for and participate in committees/work groups to further Trust initiatives.
- Follow the bylaws, including the meeting attendance requirements.
- Advise community leaders on greenspace (this is done as a body, not an individual; and covered under duties above).
- Promote Trust initiatives to the community when the opportunity presents.