By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Boone County Commissioners have not yet decided whether they will enter into a trade with the state for the swap of Hicks Pike for Chambers Road.
Both roads are about the same length; Hicks pike is 2.5 miles long and Chambers road is 2.8 miles long. Both are 18 feet wide.
Hicks Pike is county-owned, but projected growth in the area will put additional strain on the existing road, although federal funding is available for improvements.
Chambers road is state-owned, but it does have a rural character, as well as truck traffic. It is in line for change if the I-71 widening project happens.
The county sought public input, and there was a town hall in February of this year and a website where people could add their comments. That netted 150 comments. They did a mailing as well as an ad campaign and received 57,627 impressions.
When asked directly if they were in favor of the road swap, 66 percent of people who were contacted said no, while 34 percent said yes. The people who were for the swap tended to cite improved safety on Hicks, federal money for Hicks, and more county control for Chambers. Those against the swap said they didn’t like that there would be more traffic and more lanes on Hicks, less control or local input on Hicks, and more trucks on Hicks.
Commissioner Chet Hand added that other feedback was gained by emails, phone calls and texts.
A lot of people didn’t want either road to become like the ‘improvements’ on Pleasant Valley made that road, which is now difficult to navigate and has 17,800 vehicles a day driving on the road whereas Hicks Pike has 3,105, and Chambers road has 1,982.
“What is needed on Hicks Pike is lane widening, but that doesn’t mean five lanes, it means rather than 18 feet wide for two lanes it means 24 feet for two lanes,” said Assistant County Manager Rob Franxman. “Curbs and gutters, things like that, improved drainage.”
He also mentioned vertical and horizontal improvements, so people don’t have sight distance issues. He wants safer turn movements at intersections, and noted Commissioner Hand’s observations that most of the 53 crashes that occurred on that road happened at the intersections.
“I would like to see us discuss, maybe at the caucus meeting, some specific requests regarding design, and other objectives,and also discuss with KYTC agreements on potentially bringing Chambers up to a certain standard before we consider the swap because I think that Hicks Pick is in better condition than Chambers,” said Commissioner Hand. “We are not in a time crunch tonight.”
Judge Executive Gary Moore agreed, and they pulled the resolution off the agenda for this meeting.
Four more presentations were considered after that issue, two for zoning map amendments and two for changes in concept development plans.
The first was a change in concept development plan of a 6.7 acre site that is part of the old flea market site. Owners want to have one building, and then build two more on the site in the future, but they didn’t want to have to come back to the court for approval of the other two buildings.
The planning commission voted to approve the project 12 to 0. Commissioners listened to the first reading on the issue.
The second presentation was a zoning map amendment for a 3.7 acre site to rezone the area from C4 to O2 at the east side of Frogtown Connector road. The concept plan is for a 73,000 square foot four story hotel with 109 rooms. It would be a Home2Suites, where people stay 7 to 14 days. The planning commission thought the project was reasonable and appropriate, and there were no opponents at the public hearing. They voted to recommend the project 12 to 0.
Commissioner Hand said he did receive some emails in opposition to it, but he said that with the current C4 zoning they could build a three story hotel, and he asked if they wanted an O2 to build to four stories. Michael Schwartz, from Planning and Zoning, said yes, they want the four stories and more intensity, which means more number of square feet per acre, or a larger building.
Hand objected, saying there is currently nothing of that height in the area, and the Comprehensive plan for that area specifically says they should not target interstate traffic.
Schwartz said limiting the company to three stories would be a deal breaker for them, and Hand said that’s a real problem, and a four-story hotel is inappropriate for that area. Commissioner Jesse Brewer said he drives through that area all the time and it is a suburban area, where there is nothing that tall, and he thought that a four-story would be out of place there.
Commissioner Cathy Flaig agreed that most of the places and hotels in the area are not that tall.
Hand read directly from the comp plan and said as a court they have already said what they wanted in that area. He said that this type of building sets a bad precedent and pushing the boundaries of what was stated in the comp plan should not be considered.
That item also was removed from the agenda at this meeting.
Another zoning map amendment was for a 2.8 acre site at 1681 Erlanger road close to Mineola Pike and Olympic Boulevard. It is currently zoned RS and they would like for it to be changed to C2, or Commercial 2, so that they can put two restaurants on the site, one a sit-down restaurant and one a drive through. The planning commission recommended that they widen Erlanger Road and the lighting should be directed downward or shielded in some way as two of the four conditions they imposed.
Opponents brought up the fact that semi trucks go down the road and get stuck.
Commissioner Cathy Flaig asked what the planning commission vote was on the issue and was told it was 12 to 0.
“That’s the only way they vote anymore,” Commissioner Hand said to Commissioner Flaig.
The first reading of the ordinance was held for this presentation.
The fourth presentation was a change in concept development plan for 2.62 acre site within a 9.52 acre site at 527 to 535 Hunter Road, and 571 to 591 Hunter Road for the expansion of an existing commercial parking facility. The area will be a truck stop, with a convenience store, a 2400 fueling island with 4 fuel stations, and parking spaces for trucks. The planning commission voted 12 to 0 with seven conditions. One of those would be that the truck traffic would only use Hetzel Drive, and truck traffic would be prohibited on Hunter Drive.
Commissioner Hand asked if there would be a physical way to prohibit trucks on Hunter because at R anyway.’ Schwartz said there will be signs, and anything more might have to come from the county or the state, whoever has jurisdiction.
A business owner stood up to say right now the trucks come down Hunter and go to the diesel fuel pumps at the Shell station, and she said maybe if diesel fuel was not offered at the Shell station and only offered at the new facility, but Hand said he didn’t think that would be a good idea. He thought a physical barrier would have to be on Hunter Road.
“It’s a very dangerous situation,” she concluded. “Signs are not effective – some of the drivers don’t speak English.”
Jim Bertram, who represents the developer, said they have done three traffic studies and tried to look at two other truck stops to see how to design their truck stop. The business owner said she didn’t think the other two truck stops were similar to that area, but Bertram said KYTC suggested that those specific truck stops be used as similar facilities.
The first reading of the ordinance was read.
The other issues that were taken off the agenda will be scheduled for more discussion at either a caucus meeting or at the next fiscal court meeting in April.