What Lexington Needs: Executive Committee of the Woodward Heights Neighborhood Association – A Preservation Ethos

Ace, December 1991
What Lexington Needs: Executive Committee of the Woodward Heights Neighborhood Association – A Preservation Ethos

By Executive Committee of the Woodward Heights Neighborhood Association

1. A preservation ethos: Preservation as a community value and part of customary behavior.
2. A green belt for biking, horses, jogging, around a the downtown and connection the downtown neighborhoods.
3. A city-/ county-wide development plan with “preservation” given equal status with “development.”
4. Changes in the LFUCG bureaucratic structure to allow positive pressure on building owners for repairs and maintenance of building to prevent extreme deterioration of structures before a remedy is sought.
5. Dissemination of information on how to keep buildings in repair.
6. Regulation of building, repair and remodeling contractors (specially roofing and painting) to prevent incorrect ad unnecessarily costly work.
7. A grant / loan program from government to assist low- / middle-income building owners to bring their buildings up to standards.
8. A grocery store in or near the “central business district.”
9. A hardware store in the “CBD” (although Furrow serves fairly closely).
10. A laundromat in the “CBD.”
11. No more large Disney-style developments that displace beautiful 19th century ones.
12. Enforce and practice the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines for historic buildings when repairing all buildings, not just old ones.
13. Restoration of the Lyric Theatre.
14. No more small, multi-million-dollar parks.
15. Dr. George Gumbert’s house at 333 Merino street to be repaired according to plans approved by the B.O.A.R.
16. A restaurant next door to the Kentucky Theatre.
17. A return of July 4 fireworks to downtown Lexington.
18. More people living downtown.
19. A more active role taken by more downtown churches in the social needs of the community.
20. More citizens to quit griping, get informed and get involved.
21. More public servants that are dedicated ad doing a great job, such as Councilwoman Debra Hensley and Stare Representative Ernesto Scorsone.
22. Citizens to become aware that censorship of advocacy groups is a threat to the rights of every person in the community—not just a few minorities.
23. A return to beautiful starry skies over Lexington by adoption of streetlight designs that save energy and cut light pollution of our night skies—now invisible in most of Lexington. Other communities have done it!
24. Friday evening programs with the arts.
25. Fourth of July parade at night.
26. Lower arena seats for people put out by the ballgame traffic.
27. A few more people to be killed so we can get traffic lights on West Maxwell and West High Streets.
28. A grocery store where milk costs less than $2.59 a gallon for the low-income family.
29. Clean and re-lamp lampposts along Main and Vine Streets and Lighting around the courthouse.
30. Repaint fire hydrants back to original color so they can be seen more easily by people and dogs.