A public park north of I-75? Here’s what city plans to do with donated horse farm land

Approximately 30 acres of Fairway Farm, between Paris Pike and Bryan Station Road, has been donated to the city for a future park.

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council took its first vote Tuesday to approve the donation of the property. If and when the property is developed, it will become one of the few public parks north of Interstate 75 in Fayette County.

The council will likely take a final vote on the donation by the estate of Morris Floyd in coming weeks. The donation is in honor of Floyd’s parents, William and Barrie Floyd. Morris Floyd, a lawyer and former assistant attorney general, died in November.

The pie slice-shaped property is located just inside Fayette County’s urban service boundary.

According to documents provided to the council, the area is well suited for more equestrian programs. Currently, the city’s main equestrian programs are at Masterson Station Park on Leestown Road. The city also allows horses at Hisle Park.

Dog parks are also needed in the area north of I-75, the documents said.

It’s not clear if and when the city will be able to develop the donated land, said Monica Conrad, director of Lexington Parks and Recreation.

“We don’t have a set timeline at this point,” Conrad said. Before the city decides what to do with the 30 acres, there will be extensive community engagement, she told the council during a Tuesday work session. That community engagement typically includes public meetings and surveys of residents in the area.

It can take years for the council to get the money to develop a park. The city also announced plans for Cardinal Run North. The city has had the 137-acre park since 1997. Thanks to $121 million in federal coronavirus relief money, the city was able to set aside $10 million to develop the property.