Fayette County residents can vote on potential designs for Fayette County’s first park with water access.
In May 2022, the city of Lexington purchased 30 acres of land along Old Richmond Road near the Interstate 75 bridge to create the new park, called Kelley’s Landing, for $1.16 million.
Since then, the city has cleared debris from the new park and made other minor changes while developing a master plan.
The Fund for Greater Lexington, a nonprofit organization, has invested $175,000 to help finance that master plan, which is overseen by Gresham Smith, an architecture, engineering and design firm.
Since June, Gresham Smith and Civic Lex, who led public input into the project, have received feedback from more than 1,000 Lexington residents to determine what types of amenities people want in the park.
People especially wanted bathrooms, walking trails, river views, picnic or dining areas, a river launch for paddlers and pavilions and shelters, according to information from Gresham Smith.
Based on that feedback, Gresham Smith developed a plan that divides the 30-hectare site into a series of zones: play, social, education and exploration zones.
The zones are connected by a walking path. The proposed design also includes several smaller parking lots near certain zones.
The design plans include a lookout point, fishing dock, riverwalk, multiple educational and outdoor play areas and walking trails.
City officials have said only non-motorized watercraft — kayaks, canoes and paddleboards — are allowed to leave from that location.
Now the city wants feedback on what types of elements and design features it wants for each of these zones.
The research can be found at www.kelleyslanding.com. The survey closes on November 30.
Paul Hooper, spokesman for the city Department of Parks and Recreation, said the master plan will be completed in spring 2025. The total cost for the project and timeline for construction will be determined by the final master plan.
