Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approves solar facilities on Fayette County farmland with conditional-use permit option

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted 8-7 last week to allow solar facilities on Fayette County farmland under the county’s conditional-use zoning framework, according to LEX18. The action changes how solar projects may be considered in areas zoned for agriculture, rather than treating those sites under existing agricultural zoning rules alone.

Under the change approved by the council, solar facilities would be permitted as a conditional use in parts of the county designated for agriculture. A conditional-use designation generally means the project is not automatically approved solely because it is in the right zoning category, and instead would require further review and approval through the local conditional-use process.

The vote took place at the council level, with the final tally reported as 8-7, reflecting a narrow margin. LEX18 reported the council’s decision as the latest step in how the urban-county government regulates alternative energy development alongside established land-use categories.

LEX18 said the council’s approval focused on Fayette County farmland, indicating the practical effect of the policy is to expand where solar facilities may be developed in the agricultural zoning areas. The approval therefore affects landowners, potential solar developers, and nearby residents who are drawn into the review process when conditional-use permits are requested.

While the council’s action establishes a new zoning allowance, the conditional-use pathway means individual projects would still have to satisfy the terms and requirements that attach to conditional-use approvals under the local zoning system. That structure can include conditions set by the governing authority as part of the permit decision, rather than requiring a single countywide rule that applies uniformly without case-by-case review.

With the council vote completed as of the report date of Aug. 27, 2026, the next step for any solar proposal seeking to use the new allowance would be to pursue the conditional-use permitting process applicable to Fayette County’s agriculture-zoned areas. The council’s vote does not finalize specific projects, but it changes the baseline rules for where such proposals can be brought for consideration.