CORRECTION: The original version of this story incorrectly stated the amount of time residents have to appeal the planning commission’s decision. The relevant lines have been corrected. –LINK nky editorial, April 7, 2025
The Kenton County Planning Commission approved an amendment to a development plan that called for a grouping of 48 single-family detached homes from developer Fischer Homes in Kenton County this week.
The land where the homes are slated to be built is a 17-acre parcel located just south of Bristow Road in the unincorporated county. It’s part of a much larger development plan, 67 acres in total, the commission first approved in 2009.
The original 2009 plan called for 42 lots on the land, rather than 48. Staff from Kenton County Planning and Development Services recommended approval of an updated development plan for 40 of those 67 acres, which included the 17 acres on this week’s docket, in 2014.
The land’s zoning is for residential use, but there’s currently agricultural and open recreational space in the parcel, as well. Additionally, there are existing Fischer Homes developments adjacent to the land. Documents county staff presented to the commission indicate the homes would on average contain three bedrooms and would range in price from $300,000 to $400,000.
Although the county’s professional staff eventually recommended approval of the amended development plan, they said they didn’t have enough information to know if the price range of the homes – an issue that’s come up before the planning commission before – was appropriate for the goals of the county comprehensive plan.
“Although average bedroom counts and proposed price range has been submitted, we do not have enough information to determine if this development qualifies as income-aligned,” said Adelaide Sheets, the planning intern who presented the amendment’s information to the commission. “However, since the development has already been approved for 42 lots, the addition of six 50-foot lots and the reduction of one lot from 60 foot to 50 foot will provide additional housing opportunities on medium-sized lots than what was previously approved.”
In short, the new development plan calls for greater density of units on the land. Amanda Webb, a planning and entitlement manager with Fischer Homes, said that even though the company was amending its development plan, most of the plan hadn’t changed, including the street layout and the amount of green space.
“As our product has changed over time, dimensions wise, once we started looking at this, we realized we could be a little bit more efficient with [the] layout,” Webb said.
There was some concern about the properties’ proposed front setback distance of 25 feet. Other houses on the adjoining land all had 30-foot setbacks. One resident who spoke during the public comments section, Paul Metzger, advocated for consistency between the developments. He also worried the shortened setbacks might lead to vehicles overhanging out of driveways onto the sidewalks, a worry shared by Ludlow Representative Commissioner Tom France.
“If you have two cars parked in tandem, they’re clearly going overhang that sidewalk at a 25-foot setback,” France said.
Covington Representative Commissioner Gabriella DeAngelis and Bromley Representative Commissioner Gailen Bridges both felt a consistent 30-foot setback would be more appropriate.
Joe Kramer of Cardinal Engineering, Fischer Homes’ contracted engineering firm, said the reduced setbacks were the result of changes in development trends and costs.
“The houses are getting narrower; we’re getting deeper,” Kramer said. “It’s just the world we’re living in. And we’re trying to utilize as much of that front foot as we can because of development costs.”
After some more discussion, the commission asked Webb if she would be willing to revise the development plan to have 30 foot setbacks, and she finally she would if it would increase the chances the amendment would be approved that night. The commission then cast a unanimous vote in favor of the amendment.
Since the development is in the unincorporated county, the commission’s decision will stand, unless someone appeals its decision in 45 days of Thursday’s meeting. If appealed, the decision will then go before the Kenton County Fiscal Court for final approval.
