Respect the geographic context of natural land, encourage development to protect steep slope; and locate building structures to reduce unnecessary earth disruption.
Lexington’s Zoning Ordinance (Subdivision Regulations Section 6-11) requires developers to evaluate a site’s geographic and topographic characteristics, including steep slopes and sinkholes, as part of the development planning process. New development is recommended to study the site’s geographic context in contours and watershed distributions before making master plans. Extensive disturbance to earth with man-made grading for building structures has proven to be harmful to the environment, with the potential to force adjacent areas to be disturbed in a domino effect. Sustainable planning practices recommend that large developments only be allowed on land area with less than 15% slope, with modest development like trails and pathways below 30% slope.