By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
BOONE COUNTY
Commissioners listened to the first reading of an ordinance which changes the zoning of a 3.7 acre area on the east side of Frogtown Connector road between Richwood road and Frontage road, from C4 to Office 2 so that the developer can build a four story hotel with a larger density instead of a three story hotel.
Commissioner Chet Hand was not happy, and he stated that the planning commission is so wrong on this case that he wondered if they had even read the Comprehensive Plan.
“This is so egregious that I think the court should send a letter of disapproval to the planning commission telling them to get their act together,” he stated. “It is blatantly in conflict with the Plan. The C4 zone does allow a hotel to be built, but Kevin Costello (Executive Director of the Planning Commission) always said the narrative supersedes the map. The map is generalized and the narrative specifies what our target intentions for the area are. So I think for the Planning commission to willfully ignore what the Comprehensive Plan says is egregious. We already have two hotels in that area, but do 2 to 3 wrongs make a right? How much farther down that road of not following our plan do we intend to go? Where do we draw the line at this point? Do we draw the line at Frogtown? Do we draw the line at height? Where do we draw the line? If we don’t draw the line in the sand somewhere, we basically don’t have a plan. We hang our hat all the time on the fact that we have good planning, we’re forward thinking, but if we keep approving exceptions like this that are blatantly in conflict—it’s not even a matter of interpretation –it is in direct conflict with the language of our plan, where do we draw the line?”
He said as the Comprehensive plan sits right now, the plan says hotels shouldn’t be in that area.
Hand asked the developer if they could provide sight lines for the hotel to see how much the building would affect the residents in the area. He told them he isn’t against the project as such, so maybe it could work, since they put a lot of work into it. But he said he is upset with the planning commission for letting this project get this far.
“I think we need to clearly state on the record where we are drawing the line on continuing to contradict our plan,” Hand stated. “I feel bad that you guys put all this work and expense into the project and then it gets denied at the last minute. That’s why I have such a beef with the Planning commission. They should have stopped this before it ever got to this point to save you guys money. But the fact that we are here now today, I want to do right by you guys today for sure, but we’ve got to draw a line in the sand today to tell the planning commission that we disapprove of them continuing to contradict the plan.”
Judge Executive Gary Moore instructed the developer to draw up site plans for the project.
Dr. Darrin Wilson, from Northern Kentucky University, presented the results of a survey that was sent out and received last year, primarily in the spring and early summer. The county does this survey about once every five years, and Judge Gary Moore said it was a good tool to see how they are doing. He said the government cares about people and the quality of service. One of the results showing what people didn’t like the most was by far the traffic, but people liked the public safety and the friendliness of other people.
Dr. Wilson said he had 8 master students helping him with the survey. He said to his knowledge, no other municipality in Northern Kentucky does a survey of this kind.
Director of Parks David Whitehouse came to the meeting to talk to commissioners about the 200 acres of land that was purchased in conjunction with the Walton Verona schools off the Verona exit in Boone County, called Waller Stephenson Park. He said the school has built one school and has plans to build a high school, but a great deal of land belongs to the county and will be developed into trails for hiking, biking and general enjoyment of nature. He asked the commission for $125,000 to be able to finish phases two and three. They did buy River Shores, but after that purchase they still have $100,000 in the budget for phase one, and they need more to finish the project. The most cost will be spent on the parking lot in the north zone because of the expense of the gravel, but the trails shouldn’t be as expensive. The Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance has offered a trail crew to help maintain the trails once they are created. Whitehouse said they probably have as many walkers as bikers now, but the trails are typically about 4 to 6 feet wide to accommodate both walkers and bikers, similar to the trails at England-Idlewild. He asked commissioners to okay an RFP to move forward with the project, and they agreed.
The second reading of an ordinance approving a change in concept development plan for a 6.7 acre site at 10755 Dixie Highway in Boone County was passed by the commissioners.
Another second reading of an ordinance passed which was a zoning amendment changing the zone of a 2.8 acre area from rural suburban to commercial two.
EDGEWOOD
Daniel Schafer, from Moreton Capital Markets, was invited to talk about investments for the city of Edgewood. He talked about money market accounts, and how his company could change the percentage of interest in their money market funds from .54 percent to 4.34 percent, which would net the city $37,000 a year.
Council asked questions about having money more available in case of emergencies, and Schafer said they could put money into accounts that were ‘laddered’ so that they all came due at different times. They would also alert the city when it was time to put money into a different account so there was no down time.
Council liked what they heard, said they were with another bank, and Schafer said his company can do everything another company can, but faster.
It was announced that Sergeant Jarod Buchanan excelled in his physical test at the FBI running a mile in 5.07 minutes, which is the fastest time ever recorded for an FBI student.
FLORENCE
Florence City Council watched as Firefighter EMS Paramedic Sami Corbin and Firefighter EMT Josh Abdon were awarded a brain pin and a certificate for their continued efforts to get patients that they suspect may be having a stroke to the hospital in record time. It has been shown that the ‘door to needle’ time needs to be as fast as possible to ensure survivability and less debilitation factors. St Elizabeth has had a program since 2010 called Target Stroke where they are in Phase three of the program to encourage first responders to get the suspected stroke victims to the hospital as quickly as possible for the best outcome to the effects of a stroke.
In a similar event, Mayor Julie Aubuchon read a proclamation honoring the firefighters for firefighter day on May 4. EMS week is May 18 to 24.
Seth Cutter, vice president of public affairs at CVG, came to give council an update on the Airport, and to introduce Larry Krauter, the new CEO of the airport, taking the place of Candace McGraw who has retired.
The first reading was held of an ordinance approving a zoning map amendment from Commercial 2 to Commercial Services for a property at 6809 Burlington pike, just behind Lee’s Chicken. Council members voted on the first reading and all members voted yes except Angie Cable, who said she doesn’t think it is a good location for this business, which is Bluegrass Cannacare LLC, a medical cannabis business..
The first reading of another ordinance allowing a change in concept development plan for a property at 7303 Turfway Road, between the old Frisch’s building and the Chipotle in front of Remke’s. Owners want to put a coffee drive-through on the location, and again, the vote was 5 in favor and one against, and that one was Angie Cable. At the caucus meeting she had voiced her feelings that the traffic in that area when the 7 Hills church is in session is already a problem, and putting other businesses that require traffic next to it is just asking for trouble.
Both of the above changes were forwarded from the Boone County Planning and Zoning where both of them passed with a vote of 12 to 0.
TAYLOR MILL
Taylor Mill commissioners met to discuss the budget. All the department heads were required to give a presentation on their individual budgets to the commission as well as submit the written plans. CAO Brian Haney made his recommendations to the commissioners after they listened to the presentations.
The main focus of the budget will be the $2.5 million that will be spent on roads and the sidewalk extension. Haney said this is the largest single year investment in city roads in the city’s history.
The first reading of the budget ordinance will be at the regular commission meeting on May 14 at 7 p.m. at the city hall.