Model airplane club urges pause on Haley Pike solar lease; council postpones vote

Mayor Gorton presided over the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council meeting on March 12, 2026, when a sustained public comment period over the Haley Pike solar lease prompted the council to postpone action on the matter.

Several members of the Lexington Model Airplane Club told the council that the proposed Haley Pike solar lease would remove the club's long-standing flying field on the landfill and erase an FAA‑recognized facility that has supported youth STEM training for decades. "This project will take away our airfield," said Curtis Adams, a District 12 resident and longtime club member. "We have donated to charities, run events and taught kids technical aviation skills — please work with us to find a place to continue." James Newberry, also speaking for the club, said the site has been built up over 26 years and that club members had not received adequate notice or assistance from the city.

Keith Holifield, representing Newton's Attic and a former club officer, urged the council to study a shared‑use alternative that would preserve roughly 54 acres of existing aviation infrastructure while allowing most of the property to be developed for solar. "If a site like this disappears, it is not simply a matter of rebuilding a runway somewhere else," Holifield said, noting the site's Federal Aviation Administration recognition and the difficulty of replicating that status.

City staff described the developer's financing and project timeline as constraints. Mr. Dugas (city staff) said the developer needs a signed lease to proceed with lender requirements and that a delay could compress construction windows: "They are up against the sun. They have to start construction by June 30 of this year," he said. Staff also cited KRS 5.11.100, which the record shows was discussed as a state statute that prohibits overflight of electrical power generation facilities by unmanned aircraft systems — a factor that may limit any shared‑use operating plan.

CAO Sally Hamilton told the council she would meet with appropriate parties to explore options but added she would not unilaterally delay the solar approvals: "I'll start to look, meet with certain people that are appropriate and look at ways that we can perhaps solve this situation," she said.

Councilmember Morton moved to postpone Resolution Item 11 (the Haley Pike Solar Lease) to the March 26 meeting; Councilmember Curtis seconded the motion. After council discussion about timing, community benefits negotiation and site constraints, the motion passed.

The postponement leaves open further negotiation on a community benefits agreement and whether a shared‑use design or relocation plan can be developed before the council's next consideration. Staff told the council the developer will still need to return for additional approvals, including industrial revenue bonds and the community benefits agreement referenced in the lease.