Members of the Urban County Council heard last night from several homeowners who do not want to see a soccer stadium built on Athens Boonesboro Road near I-75.
Despite concerns voiced by Dennis Yalkut, Julie Goodman and others in the Ashley Woods neighborhood, the Council voted to approve a zone change in a 10 to two vote.
This means the Lexington Sporting Club has the green light to build its stadium near a site where their training fields are already being constructed. Sporting Club Head Coach Sam Stockley told the council the club needs to be able to build an entire soccer complex and he insisted it would be beneficial to the city.
The Urban Planning Commission approved a zone change for property in the Athens Boonesboro Road area that would allow the Sporting Club to build not only the stadium and training facility but a medical facility, restaurants, shops and a bank. The proposal says the development would create 300 jobs and bring in $30M in annual economic impact within Lexington.
The Sporting Club owners say if they can get the zone change, they want to build in Fayette County, and if they can’t they might be persuaded to move everything to Jessamine County where a proposal is reportedly already on the table.
The planning commission could still disapprove the final development plan for the stadium if it changes significantly from what was originally submitted.
Right now, the Lexington Sporting Club is playing its inaugural season at Georgetown College.
