4th District
Meet Councilmember Susan Lamb
Councilmember Susan Lamb first moved to the fourth district in 2012 to get a feel for the needs of the neighborhood. She says, “At that time, I was contemplating running for office when I retired. I’ve been on the Council now for six and a half years and am grateful to live in such a wonderful community.”
Now in her fourth term, Lamb was elected as the city councilmember representing Lexington’s 4th district in 2014, but she was no stranger to public service (as regular viewers of the former GTV3 will know her from her longtime role as Council Clerk and the video streaming of all council meetings). She says, “I have worked in local government for 34 years and still to this day value the importance of providing resources and knowledge to citizens of Lexington-Fayette County.”
With more than three decades of experience in local government, she says, “Some might think after all the years that I have been involved in public meetings and on camera reading and speaking, that I would be a natural when it comes to shooting videos. However, nothing could be further from the truth.” She readily admits to freezing up in front of the camera and laughs at the “hilarious” memories her colleagues and LFUCG’s “wonderful videographers” must have.
The fourth District begins behind the Arboretum and extends out to the Jessamine County line, nestled between Tates Creek and Nicholasville roads. The area features diverse residential, retail, office space, and restaurants. Lamb says, “We have locally owned small businesses that are thriving and so important to our neighborhoods.”
As businesses begin to open back up after the rollercoaster year that was 2020, Lamb says, “We will see new trends with use of space as we open back up from this pandemic which will create repurposing opportunities in our neighborhoods and business areas.”
She has already noticed this with recent developments along Nicholasville Road. “The Summit has invited existing neighborhoods to walk and shop and eat. The new development on Malabu has added more services along with a coffee shop and restaurant. Malibu Jacks has rejuvenated the former K-mart building.”
With business booming in this area, she admits, “Traffic continues to be a major issue not only on the main corridors, but also within the neighborhoods.”
Traffic calming efforts are a top priority, but Lamb acknowledges that community input is vital. “Identifying where infill and redevelopment opportunities exist within neighborhoods is very important so that conversations can begin with neighbors and businesses before plans are made so that everyone has an opportunity for input at the beginning of the process.”
Her favorite part about the neighborhood is that people aren’t afraid to think outside the box about issues. She says, “I love the diversity of constituents in the 4th District. They welcome good discussions and collaborate to find solutions. Seeing so many neighbors utilizing our beautiful walk paths and the green spaces at our public parks is wonderful.”
The fourth district is home to six public parks, including Veterans Park and Kirklevington Park, which features newly renovated pickleball courts, which have proven to be a neighborhood destination. “Pickleball has grown exponentially at Kirklevington Park engaging so many people.”
Celebrating South Lexington, she says, “We have walkable neighborhoods and multi-use developments being created. The older neighborhoods are seeing a surge of younger families moving in when properties become available.”
A typical day at work for her, at least over the past year, Lamb says, “has been attending virtual meetings and talking to constituents on the phone and via email.” In years prior, she says, “We held neighborhood and district-wide meetings, helped neighborhoods with projects such as park beautification, sidewalk continuity and educational resources about ‘how to be a better neighbor’ and with sanitary and storm sewer projects.”
When not spending her free time camping or at the lake or on her family’s Shelby County farm, she loves eating sushi at Drake’s and Blue Sushi. Her other favorite neighborhood spots for a business lunch or dinner, she shares, “We enjoy the variety of food at BJ Brewhouse especially on a basketball game day. The salads at Smashing Tomato are wonderful and, of course, the amazing Italian or seafood meals cannot be beat at Giuseppe’s with the ambiance of slow jazz in the background. The locally-owned Honeywood, also brings awesome farm-to-table entrees that make your mouth water.”
Councilmember Lamb believes, “People are our biggest asset and their ability to connect with each other to affect positive outcomes. Engaging with our youth is also very important to not only make sure they know their opinions are valued, but to encourage them to get involved in their local government.”
If you would like to be connected to your neighborhood association, or would like to start a neighborhood association, please feel free to reach out to Councilmember Lamb’s Office. She says, “It is important to stay connected with local government social media and newsletters to understand what projects are scheduled for your neighborhood. Don’t be afraid to get involved with boards and commissions to contribute to your local community.”
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4h District: susanl@lexingtonky.gov
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This article appears on page 4 of the 2021 annual print edition of the Spring Summit Guide.
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