The Kenton County Planning Commission approved a zoning change for a former daycare center in Covington, in hopes of attracting buyers.
The zoning change approval came last week after the property’s owner asked for the change to allow more businesses to go on the site, thus facilitating the building’s sale.
Located on Benton Road in Covington, the building is owned by Romper Room Child Care, which operated there until 2018. The owner later leased the building to another daycare provider, which, in turn, left it in December 2023. The building’s owner, Terri Willis, told the planning commission she’s struggled to draw in potential buyers.
“I operated a child care center there, and a lot of construction happened in the neighborhood, and it actually destroyed the business,” Willis said. “There’s no use for a childcare center in that location any longer, so I handled the building for a year trying to figure out what to do with it, and with the limited uses the building sat completely unoccupied for one year.”
Willis had requested to change the building’s current suburban residential zoning to a semi-urban residential zone, which would allow for a greater number of uses at the site.
Willis submitted a development plan with her request in which she promised not to sell the building to certain types of businesses in order to protect the integrity of the neighborhood, namely scrap yards and recycling centers, addiction treatment facilities, pawn shops, anything that might emit harsh chemicals or generate loud noises, mobile home parks, short-term rentals, cemeteries, banks or credit unions.
Two residents from nearby neighborhoods expressed worry about the site’s uncertain future, and the commission members debated whether Willis would uphold her commitment not to market the site to certain businesses.
However, given that Willis had submitted a development plan with the request (which the commission typically treats as a binding document), any major changes to the building by either Willis herself or a future owner would have to come before the planning commission again for approval.
In the end, the commission voted 11 to 2 in favor of the zoning change, with the condition that Willis uphold her promise.