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Conclusion & Next Steps The robust dataset that is laid out in this report and was collected through an extensive multipronged process, provides an excellent springboard into the recommendations for Imagine Lexington 2045’s Goals & Objectives. The Division of Planning, in conjunction with our civic partners, has asked the public for their opinion on how they want to see Lexington grow in the future and they did not disappoint in their response. With the estimated 4,000-5,000 people who participated in On the Table conversations, the nearly 2,500 surveys taken, the ten community organizations who provided feedback, the dozens of local businesses that were represented over nine Commerce Lexington meetings, and the inputs from the various city governmental Divisions, the Planning staff, the Planning Commission, and the Council now have the basis they need to start making decisions. The public input, along with the existing conditions and trends data presented to the Planning Commission in March of 2022, and industry best practices, will be applied in the coming months to arrive at recommended Goals & Objectives. This recommendation will be grounded in fact, reflective of best practice, and take the public input into consideration. In short, it will be a community vision of the future that is informed and tailored specifically for Lexington. The recommendation will come from Planning staff this summer and will culminate in a public hearing planned for late summer/early fall of 2022. This will be the next opportunity for the public to weigh-in on the direction of Imagine Lexington 2045. From there it will be forwarded on to the Urban County Council for action by the end of the year, if all goes according to plan. The balance of the comprehensive plan, which is the policies and implementation strategy for the Goals & Objectives will be completed in 2023, and data collected and reported here will be useful for that exercise as well. In fact, the data from this report is intended to not only inform planning efforts, but to be a resource for the entire community in any other visioning exercises or general curiosity.
