By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Boone County Fiscal Court held the first reading of an ordinance that will change the zoning of an approximate one acre area located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Mt Zion Road and Lakeside Drive, including the properties at 266, 270, 274, 278, 280, and 290 Carpenter Drive, and 1006 West Garland Court from Mobile Home Park to Commercial 4.
The zoning change also includes three variances that change the sizes of the buffer yards on two
sides and the setback in the rear for all sides of the property.
The request is from Keating, Muething, and Klekamp Law through James Parsons who is the
applicant on behalf of Mt. Zion Mobile Home Park LP for Kurtis P. Keeney, who is the owner. The reason for the request is to build a McDonalds on the lot, which would be the 15th McDonald’s in Boone County.
Attorney Jim Parsons speaks to Boone County Fiscal Court. (Photo by Patricia Scheyer/NKyTribune)
Commissioner Jesse Brewer and Commissioner Chet Hand asked several questions from both Steve Lilly, who presented the case from Planning and Zoning, and James Parsons. Planning and Zoning
approved the request unanimously, with four conditions.
“Actually I had a lot of people email me about this one today asking why we needed a fifteenth
McDonald’s in Boone County,” said Commissioner Hand, when he was told no one spoke against the
project at the public hearing. “But somebody said there was somebody in opposition, the owner of the Valvoline business that spoke at the public hearing.”
“He did speak at the public hearing. He didn’t state that he opposed the development,” said Lilly. “He asked about the mobile home residents that were on this one acre site, and he asked another question about cross easements and access, if there was a future connection possible over to— whatever that main road is by the Valvoline.”
Lilly said that the Valvoline is over on Deemia Way, to the west of the development.
“Is there still going to be part of the mobile home that will be left intact?” asked Commissioner
Brewer.
“This is actually a part of the mobile home park,” said Parsons. “In fact, it’s going to be on leased land — the mobile home park is leasing the land to the McDonalds operator.”
He added that in the Boone County Comprehensive plan it specifically encourages that the
mobile home park will eventually transition into commercial zoning.
Commissioner Hand asked if all the mobile home residents are renters, and Parsons said yes, but
he thought that several of the homes are empty. Parsons also said that Lakeside Drive is a private road but it is not in use at this time, and due to an agreement with the McDonald’s operator and the property owner, they will have full access to the road.
Hand asked if this development would increase traffic into the mobile home park, but Parsons
said that there will be no direct access from the development into the mobile home park.
Brewer asked if people exiting the McDonald’s would be able to turn either way onto Lakeside
and Parsons confirmed that the traffic light is a full service light and people will be able to turn right or left out of the McDonald’s. He also said that no additional traffic improvements are needed on Mt Zion Road.
With a pause in the questions, Judge Executive Gary Moore stated that if they read the ordinance
for the first time Tuesday night, they would have time to address any possible problems with the buffer yard or other things. He confirmed that the second reading would be January 9, and he said that would be enough time to address any other concerns.
The first reading was held and approved.
