The Boone County Planning Commission recommended denial of a zone change request for a wedding venue and event center near a residential neighborhood in Union.
At a public hearing in early April, Northern Kentucky Development Alliance, formed by Dale McPherson, a founding builder of Triple Crown Country Club, and Patrick Rector, founder of Rector Excavating, proposed a zone change amendment that, if passed, would’ve led to the development of a 13,000-square-foot event center.
The Northern Kentucky Development Alliance sought to change the zoning designation of an 18.8-acre parcel on the north side of Hathaway Road, between Old Union Road and Spruce Lane. Currently, the parcel is zoned as Suburban Residential One, with the Northern Kentucky Development Alliance requesting a change to Suburban Residential One/Planned Development.
The Allora Wedding and Event Center was designed to host weddings, gatherings, and special community events that include live music and light entertainment. Blueprints provided by the planning commission showed that the event center has a 4,000-square-foot grand ballroom and banquet hall, a 1,800-square-foot banquet hall, and a 900-square-foot private bistro for small corporate events, showers, private parties and rehearsal dinners.
Other amenities included a 2,700 square foot commercial-grade kitchen, 2,500 square feet of storage space, and over 1,800 square feet of covered outdoor patios. The zone change request went through the planning commission’s approval system, receiving the green light from the technical design/review committee.
However, at a planning commission meeting on May 7, the legislative body narrowly voted 6-5 to recommend denial of the zone change amendment request. Some of the main concerns shared by the commissioners related to noise mitigation, traffic control and the proposed septic system.
Before the commissioner’s vote, McPherson said he believed the Northern Kentucky Development Alliance adequately addressed concerns brought forth during the public hearing.
“I think we’ve done everything we can as a good developer and a good steward of the land, and we just hope you have your vote, and I’m here to answer any questions if you have any,” he said.
Commissioner Corinn Gulick explained the rationale behind her vote, saying that she was concerned about the proposal’s reliance on a septic system instead of a connection to a sanitary sewer system.
“To me, without there being a connection [to a sanitary sewer] on the horizon, I thought that that disqualified it from the PD [planned development] overlay, which is why I will vote no,” she said. “But it’s not a no forever. It’s a ‘not yet.’”
Prior to the commissioner’s vote, Jill Charles, a nearby resident, spoke out against the zone change amendment during the meeting’s public comment section, saying she felt that it would negatively affect neighbors’ quality of life.
“It’s not even been identified as it does not provide for the accommodation and convenience of the residents in our neighborhood, and negatively impacts the quality of life and the quiet, peaceful, rural character of our neighborhood.”
Despite the ‘no’ vote, several commissioners lauded the project’s planning and the developer’s willingness to adapt to critiques. Commissioner Rick Lunnemann said he felt that the Northern Kentucky Development Alliance did a good job focusing on noise reduction and traffic reduction.
“This is an excellent project,” he said. “It’s beautifully designed. I think it will be I think it will work well in this location.”
Since the planning commission recommended denial of the zone change request, the proposal’s fate lies with the City of Union, which holds the power to either approve the recommendation or override it.
