The Kenton County Planning Commission has denied a zoning change for a 178-unit development from Fischer Homes on a tract of land in Independence off KY-17. This is just north of the area where the new Publix grocery store is slated to open.
Both planning commissioners and Independence residents expressed concerns about the proposed development’s building density of roughly seven units per buildable acre in a Thursday night meeting. Some commissioners were also concerned with how the developers aimed to use the city’s planned unit development, or PUD, zone to carry out the development plan. The planning commission’s Independence rep. Maura Snyder made the motion to deny the change request, and the commission cast a 15 to 2 vote in favor of the denial.
“I think there’s a design that can happen there,” said Commissioner Phil Ryan, but recommended the developers “back it off a bit.”
The Planning Commission’s decision serves as a recommendation to the Independence City Council. The developers can now either come up with a new development plan, seek another recommendation for a different zoning change, or try to convince the city council to supersede the planning commission’s recommendation.
Located off KY-17 in Independence, the land is currently categorized under the city’s residential rural estate zone. Fischer made the ask through its LLC development subsidiary Grand Communities, which is tied to numerous real estate development projects in the region. Fischer doesn’t actually own the land but was hoping to develop it on behalf of the owners, who are hoping to sell it; there is an existing single-family home on the site. Both rural and suburban areas surround the land.
The development plan Fischer submitted to county planning professionals prior to Thursday’s meeting called for 66 patio home-style duplexes and 112 multi-family condos, a new water detention basin, 124 parking spaces and new streets with access onto KY-17. Oliver Road runs along the side of the land opposite to KY-17, but the development plan did not call for access onto that road.
Grand Communities dubbed the development Coppice Hollow. A coppice is a human-maintained grouping of tree shoots growing from a tree stump. The patio-home duplexes would have two to three bedrooms. The condos, on the other hand, would have two bedrooms and the units would be spread across 11 buildings. Grand Communities submitted renderings of both housing types to the county before the meeting.
Renderings and descriptions of the condos at Coppice Hollow. Images and descriptions produced by Grand Communities. Provided | Kenton County Planning and Development Services 
Renderings and descriptions of the duplexes at Coppice Hollow. Images and descriptions produced by Grand Communities. Provided | Kenton County Planning and Development Services
Grand Communities gave estimated base prices for both housing types: between $215,000 and $280,000 for the condos, depending on their size, and between $290,000 to $320,000 for the duplexes. Those prices do not represent any upgrades or amenities. County planning professionals later offered a more detailed analysis that broke down total monthly costs, including taxes, insurance and other ownership expenses if a buyer made a 20% down payment.
County planning professionals were not in favor of the zoning change for several reasons.
First, the units did not conform to the area’s recommended land use, which calls for low-density, single-family housing. The area was actually included in a 2007 Independence Small Area Study that had recommended the land for conservation development: “The recommended land use is residential at a density of two point one to four dwelling units per net acre,” according a written opinion from planning professionals. Fischer wanted to build seven per net acre.
Planners also found the sidewalk infrastructure inadequate, and the area is far from any public transit.
Finally, planning professionals noted that existing data on the housing situation in Northern Kentucky suggested the housing types were not income aligned. They cited a 2023 housing study from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, which suggested there was an overabundance in Kenton County of the kind of housing Fischer wanted to build in Coppice Hollow.
Several residents spoke out against the zoning change, as well, expressing concerns about traffic and deterioration of the area’s rural character.
“This isn’t good for the community,” said resident Jacob March Bishop, expressing what many in the room felt about the development.
Ken Holliday, a commercial broker representing the family selling the land, argued the impending Publix opening signaled that increased-density developments were appropriate for the area’s burgeoning development.
“The Publix, that was the game changer,” Holliday said. “That’s what triggered developers to show up and have an interest in this area.”
Amanda Webb, who represented Grand Communities, made a similar argument, indicating there were higher-density, commercial areas to the south of the land. Webb described their development plan as a “good transition” out of the commercial area.
The planning commissioners had other concerns, aside from the density. Covington Rep. Kareem Simpson didn’t like how the homes weren’t income aligned. Still others thought the request was a misuse of the PUD zone.
“They’re (PUD zones) intended to bring something unique,” said Edgewood Rep. Paul Darpel. “This isn’t unique.”
After some more discussion, the commissioners voted to deny the zoning change.