With disability rates on the rise and paratransit still falling short, Lexington is investing in two microtransit initiatives developed by local nonprofits.
At their Tuesday, April 14, work session, Councilmembers reviewed a study assessing options for relocating the Mint Lane pump station or fixing it at its current spot behind Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
As the presentation showed, the pump station has been leaking sewage into the area. The troubled pump station needs major upgrades by the end of 2030 to comply with an EPA Consent Decree, which the city is currently under for failing to adequately maintain its sanitary sewer and stormwater systems over the years.
One option under review includes relocating the pump station to a portion of Mill Ridge Farm, near Bowman Mill Road. While the study showed such a move would eliminate the need for the current Mint Lane pump station, it has drawn criticism from residents who support preserving Lexington's existing farmland. The site is outside the current Urban Service Area that contains the city's development.
Ultimately, Councilmembers decided they wanted more time to weigh their options and review a full report from Acting Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works Charlie Martin. They agreed to revisit the discussion during an upcoming April 28th work session.
During the April 14th meeting, many residents showed up to speak for or against putting a pump station at the Bowman Mill site. Critics contended doing so would circumvent the city's current process for expanding the Urban Service Area and pave the way for new development in a traditionally rural area.
Here's what to know.
What is the Council considering for Mint Lane?
Acting Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works Charlie Martin presented a study detailing three options for remedying the Mint Lane pump station's issues.
It follows previous direction by the Council's Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee in August 2025.
Each of the sites comes with its own trade-offs, though according to the study, upgrading the pump station at its current location comes with the lowest estimated capital cost at $19.6 million.
The options Martin presented include:
Keep the pump station at its current location, but upgrade it. Of the three options, it has the lowest estimated capital cost, but there are "constructability" concerns, including karst topography and potential floodplain issues that would need to be mitigated, Martin said. Building a new pump station at another site would be more expensive, but there are also significant site costs incurred by keeping the Mint Lane station where it is. "The Dunbar site is a more constrained site," Martin told the Council. "If all things were equal, nobody would choose that site."
Alternatively, a new pump station could be built on a portion of Mill Ridge Farm by Bowman Mill Road. Because the site is downstream, it would eliminate the need for the existing Mint Lane pump station at Dunbar High. The project's capital cost is estimated at $24.9 million or $27.3 million, depending on the scope. However, there are risks at this site as well, including disrupting a high-producing spring in the area, Martin said.
A third option includes a site at Blue Grass Airport, which Martin described as a "Hail Mary". While it would also eliminate the need for the current Mint Lane pump station, it's by far the most expensive option with an estimated capital cost of $48.4 million. It also comes with several risks. The project would need 11 easements. It would require the temporary closure of Parkers Mill Road. Martin was also hesitant about the project being complete by the looming 2030 deadline imposed by the EPA's Consent Decree.
Why is the Bowman Mill Road site controversial?
As CivicLex has previously reported, the family that owns Mill Ridge Farm previously requested to be included in the 2023 Urban Service Area expansion, which didn’t ultimately happen.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the family previously said they hope to develop part of the area into upscale housing. In June of 2025, the family hosted a community meeting where designs were shared, the newspaper reports, citing a copy of an invitation it obtained.
Price Bell, one of the farm's owners, told the Herald-Leader it did not ask to be included in the study so it could build on the property.
Subject to frequent flooding, the farm is pursuing a conservation easement to help restore a creek in the area. Moving the pump station downstream would help make that happen, Bell told the paper.
During the Tuesday, April 14th Work Session, several local residents opposed moving the pump station to Mill Ridge Farm. Among them was John Phillips, who lives in Council District 5. Phillips said such a move would set a bad precedent and allow landowners to circumvent the Urban Service Boundary for their own private benefit.
"The Urban Service Boundary should not be up for sale," Phillips told the Council.
Price Bell also spoke during the meeting's public comment segment.
"My greatest driver of being here today is the wetland restoration project. Relocating a pump station to Bowman Mill allows a state-funded wetland restoration project along Cave Creek to move forward," Bell said.
He added: "It repairs years of environmental damage caused by 13 million gallons of overflows, and it creates the opportunity for public greenspace, future trail connection, and ultimately, meaningful community access along one of the most beautiful corridors in Fayette County."
Aaron covers the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council as a City Hall Reporter for CivicLex. His background is in Service Journalism, and he’s passionate about helping Lexington residents stay informed about happenings in local government.
