The Lexington City Planning Commission on Jan. 16 found that Fayette County Public Schools’ plan to demolish and rebuild Henry Clay High School (public facility review) generally complies with the city’s comprehensive plan and recommended additional landscaping where practicable.

Daniel Crum, planning staff, presented the revised site plan showing a new, roughly 350,000‑square‑foot school relocated on the same campus and a reconfigured circulation pattern that will place student drop‑off and parking internally, with bus circulation routed to the rear of the site.

Why it matters: The plan is the city’s formal review of a major public facility that replaces the existing school on site, reconfigures athletic fields and parking, and will affect neighbors, tree canopy and construction phasing. The commission’s recommendation supports the school board’s capacity and site‑planning objectives while asking for more tree plantings in parking areas where practicable.

Crum told commissioners the new building would sit farther toward Fontaine Road than the existing structure and that much of the tree removal would occur on the park side of the site; the plan keeps the football field and tennis courts in place and shifts baseball and softball fields as needed. Staff recommended additional landscaping in parking areas and island planting where feasible, while recognizing that band practice areas and some large paved zones must remain unobstructed.

Chris Howard with Harmon, the project team, said the intention is to start construction as soon as school is out this summer and to phase the work so that the new building will be completed before demolition of the existing school. "The building will be fully constructed prior to the demolition of the existing high school," Howard said, describing a phased approach that aims to minimize student displacement.

Commissioners had questions about tree loss and impacts on adjacent residences; staff said trees are primarily being removed on the park side of the campus and that the plan largely avoids steep slopes on the rear of the property.

Commissioner Wirth moved that the commission find the Henry Clay plan consistent with the comprehensive plan and endorse staff’s recommendation to add landscaping where it makes sense; Commissioner Jonathan Davis seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Staff will continue to coordinate site‑plan and construction details with the school and the project team; the commission’s finding is advisory for the school board and serves as the city’s formal public‑facility review record.