Developers are proposing to build a 1.26 million-square-foot industrial building that borders a Hebron neighborhood with over 250 homes.
The proposal was discussed at the Boone County Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday and members of the Little Hill Crossing neighborhood were present to express their concerns to the board and developers. The development is proposed between Old Graves Road and Petersburg Road. Following the revision requests at the Sept. 7 meeting, the building size has been reduced by 20%, at 1.26 million square feet instead of the original 1.5 million square feet.
Little Hill Crossing neighborhood is bordered by industrial sites servicing Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, like Ryder Warehouse and two Amazon distribution facilities. According to nearby residents, Amazon developers failed to keep their promises to residents in regards to a sound barrier that never came to fruition.
After making significant revisions to the original design, applicant Melissa Johnson with Project Rooster, and Al Neyer, Graves Family Real Estate LLC, requested the approval of the large industrial building designed for commercial use.
The site is intended for a logistics company that has not yet been disclosed to the public or board members.
Brian Dunham with Dunham Law, Johnson’s attorney and physical representation at the planning commission meeting, said the retail goods manufacturing company is native to Boone County and over 60% of their employees reside within county lines.
“After making significant improvements to the plan, we can confirm there will be no blasting within the construction process,” Dunham said.
Additional improvements include increased landscaping and grade reduction between the site and residential property, semi-truck parking hidden from residential areas, a green community area directly adjacent to residents and eliminated access to KY 20, which was a significant concern brought up at the previous public hearing.
Pat Moore, vice president of architecture for Al Neyer, said he completed similar projects around Boone County and understands why this may be concerning for the affected Hebron residents.
“I want to point out that we do recognize the importance of this project to the surrounding neighbors and understand that these are people’s homes that they have emotional connections to,” Moore said.
Moore’s presentation included a sun study to place solar panels on the roof of the 90-foot-tall building, examining the reflection’s impact on drivers on Interstate 275.
“We pushed with the end-user and it resulted in a wider but shorter building,” Moore said. “It’s still a large building even with the reduction and we recognize that it exceeds the 350,000 square-feet maximum with the zone change.”
Civil Engineer Don Stegman said the location is an appropriate site for the size of the building because it is well concealed within the valley and the traffic movement shifts to concentrate on Litton Lane.
Stegman also mentioned the revision includes a reduced development percentage from 48% to 41%, meaning 41% of the land will be developed for the industrial site.
Amy Stauffer, a Liberty Hill Crossing resident, requested the Project Rooster team to include a sound barrier to lessen the truck noises and to provide answers about pollution risks.
Another resident wondered who would be responsible for the buffer zones and snow management.
“Who will maintain the greenspace and how will the ice melt in the winter based on the winter shadow reflection?” asked Sarah Eshelman, a fellow concerned LHC resident.
Another resident, Alvin Poweleit, asked about the specific hours of operation at the previous meeting and said he was told there would be two shifts operating five days a week, but was concerned when Moore mentioned a 24-hour guard stand.
The next meeting regarding this issue is scheduled for Sept. 29 at 5 p.m.