Cold Spring is eyeing approximately 12 acres of land in the city for future development; but first, the city’s planning commission had to approve plans to prepare the site for future growth.
The site is located on Alexandria Pike/U.S. 27, approximately 600 feet south of the intersection of Alexandria Pike and the northern end of Ripple Creek Road. Only one acre of the site is developed, which houses a medical office building.
Before further development could begin, the Cold Spring Planning and Zoning Commission voted Wednesday night to approve a turn lane and pedestrian crosswalk addition to Link Lane.
A traffic impact study by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet showed that the site required a traffic signal and a turn lane off Link Lane, which provides access to the site. The traffic signal is under the jurisdiction of the state and therefore was not voted on by the planning commission. The developer is paying for these traffic improvements.
Staff recommendations for the site said that based on the conceptual uses and the traffic impact study, the turn lanes, improved pedestrian crossings, and traffic signal at the Alexandria Pike and the First Baptist Church driveway/Link Lane intersection would provide a more attractive site for potential development and a safer place for pedestrians and motorists.
Residents who live on Murnan Road in Cold Spring spoke at the meeting opposing the implementation of the traffic light.
“It’s already hard to get out of Murnan, to begin with, turning north, and to put another light there; they will stack up because you’re 600 feet away from our intersection,” Roger Heck said.
Justin Verst with Viox & Viox said the traffic impact study required 1,000 feet in both directions, which included Murnan Road.
Heck also brought attention to the Cold Spring comprehensive plan, which talked of plans to “reevaluate the alignment of Dry Creek and Murnan roads with the potential of connecting such realignment with east Alexandria Pike to eliminate multiple access points and streamline traffic at the intersection.”
Campbell County Planning and Zoning Director Cindy Minter agreed there were longstanding issues with Murnan Road which is why it was written into the comprehensive plan. She urged the residents to speak with the city council about discussing traffic issues and the traffic light with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet because it is in their jurisdiction, not the cities.
On Link Lane, a new right/through lane is proposed for traffic exiting the development site. A small portion is on the development property and would be dedicated to public use. The center lane in both directions will be striped as a left-turn-only as it approaches the intersection.
To the south of the intersection, on the northbound side of U.S. 27, a right-turn lane is proposed to accommodate northbound traffic bound for Link Lane. This lane is entirely within KYTC’s right-of-way and was not voted on by the planning commission.
The plan also shows pedestrian facilities at the intersection, including a signalized pedestrian crossing on Link Lane.
According to the planning commission, there are no contracts on the property to develop; therefore, definitive uses have yet to be named for the remaining acreage. However, the developer contracted with engineer Viox & Viox to provide an updated traffic impact study based on Kentucky Transportation Cabinet specifications. The study considered a variety of uses at the site to estimate the traffic impact.
In the updated study, Viox & Viox provided the proposed development complementary uses, which include:
• Medical office building – 7,000 square feet
• Day care center – 6,000 square feet
• Drive-in bank – 3,800 square feet
• Fast-food restaurant with drive-through window – 5,200 square feet
• Quick lube vehicle shop with three service positions – 2,000 square feet
The existing medical center on the site has two offices, one filed by Northern Kentucky Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, and the other is currently vacant. There are plans for a Cincinnati Children’s primary care facility to open there on June 5, a Cincinnati Children’s representative said at the meeting.
As for the project’s timeline, Viox & Viox said in their findings, “Based on the KYTC traffic impact study requirements, the full build scenario was assumed to be 2024, with the post-full-build year assumed to be 2034.”
The development is located within a Neighborhood Shopping Center zone with a Residential-3 zone near the back. The “Residential-3” zone allows for multi-family, medium-density development, including apartments and condominiums. However, Campbell County Principal Planner Kirk Hunter said at the meeting that the residential zone is small and doesn’t think much could be built.
