The Cold Spring City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance allowing a zone change on the former DAV headquarters site from an industrial park to a mixed-use development and neighborhood commercial.
The council voted four to two to approve the zone change; however, a second reading and vote must be held for official approval.
The area is approximately 27 acres on the corner of Alexandria Pike, also known as U.S. 27, and Industrial Road. The site, which has the working name “Cold Spring Town Center,” by developer Al Neyer LLC, was approved by the Cold Spring Planning and Zoning Commission in May for two proposed medical office buildings with three retail and/or commercial buildings on the east side of the development.
The commission approved the zone change at its meeting because major economic, physical, or social changes were occurring in the area that were not anticipated at the time of the comprehensive plan and have altered the area’s character. They found this to be the case with the DAV moving.
Council member Cindy Moore, who voted no on the zone change, recommended holding an additional public hearing before the city council with an outside entity from the city or developer.
Council member Chris Ampfer questioned why the council was second-guessing its planning commission, and council member Paul Kloeker said the city didn’t have the time to conduct another public hearing.
“I’m not going to talk to a planner to see which way we should go,” Kloeker said. “We’re elected here to make the decisions.”
A portion of the site has been labeled as “future development.” The council speculated that housing would be built on that piece of the property, which caused some hesitation in the zone change approval.
The future development area, as well as the three retail/commercial buildings, will require a stage one plan review when it is considered for development. The uses must comply with the mixed-use planned development zone and could include office, commercial and/or residential uses.
Attached, single-family and multifamily residential would be permitted in the area.
The site’s development has been held up by a years-long eminent domain battle between the city and Campbell County Schools, which wanted to turn it into a middle school. The Campbell County Board of Education voted to settle the lawsuit in July 2023, ending the dispute.
The city announced in December 2020 that it planned to build a healthcare facility to replace the DAV building. According to Cold Spring City Attorney Brandon Voelker, the city has an agreement with the developer to build a medical building on-site.
Like the planning and zoning meeting, many residents attended the city council meeting and expressed their disapproval of the proposed development.
Former Cold Spring Mayor Mark Stoeber spoke against the zone change at the meeting.
“MUPD was designed for 60 and 70-acre properties for which you properly used in the Cold Spring Pointe, and that’s great,” Stoeber said. “That’s exactly how that property is supposed to be used. Across the street, Crossroads Crossing is exactly how that property is supposed to be used. The northern end of the city, according to every comprehensive plan that this city has written, is supposed to be neighborhood commercial and have a neighborhood feel.”
Stoeber also said that allowing this property to change zones to mixed-use development could set off a chain reaction and allow neighboring properties to change. He said the zone change would make that strip of the city look like Colerain and Beechmont Avenues.
“As I told planning and zoning, you have the biggest decision in the city’s history,” Stoeber said. “I’ve been involved since 1998. This single decision tonight will change the course of the future of the city.”
Lisa Risch lives on Henry Court, which is adjacent to the property, and said her backyard faces the DAV.
“If you lived where I lived, would you want to look out your back windows and look at a parking lot full of cars, commercial property?” Risch said. “If they bulldoze all of the trees, we’re going to lose our privacy. We’re going to have light and noise infiltration, pollution.”
Cold Spring resident Brian Markus asked for green space to be considered and for the city to ensure the final development looked nice. Under the mixed-use development zone, 20% of the area must remain green space.
“Right now, the way the DAV property sits and the way it looks, I think it fits nicely in the city,” Markus said. “You can do these developments properly, or you can do them where they look like crap. I hope you all do your job and ensure that whatever they wind up doing with this property, it still looks nice at the end of the day. People in Henry Court shouldn’t be forced to stare at buildings and lighting and restaurants.”
Voelker said that there are requirements within the zoning code that would help with things like lights and privacy.
“Screening, glares and lights—it specifically said no lighting shall be permitted which would unreasonably glare from any use located within the zone onto any street or into any adjacent property,” Voelker said. “Those development standards are out there.”
The proposed main entrance to the development will utilize the existing light on Alexandria Pike across from Furniture Fair. Right-in and right-out access will also be available off of Alexandria Pike. A separate entrance and exit will also be utilized off of Industrial Road.
Voelker said he could only speculate what the Kentucky Department of Transportation would require for this development. Still, after speaking with them, he said the city thought it would require additional lanes on U.S. 27 and 1998 to serve the property.
A traffic study will be conducted as part of the stage two plans should the development move forward.
An official vote by the city council must occur within 90 days of the planning commission’s approval (Aug. 6), or the commission’s vote will stand.