The City of Union is weighing a zone change that would allow an upscale event center on Hathaway Road.
On July 9, the Union City Commission hosted a public hearing for a zone change request to change an 18.8-acre site on the north side of Hathaway Road, nestled between Old Union Road and Spruce Lane in Union, from Suburban Residential One to Suburban Residential One/Planned Development. Edgewood-based Arlinghaus Builders owns the land.
The zone change request was made by the Northern Kentucky Development Alliance, a holding company formed by Dale McPherson, a founding builder of Triple Crown Country Club, and Patrick Rector, founder of Rector Excavating.
The duo plans to construct Allora, a 13,000-square-foot upscale Italianate-style event center. The name Allora is Italian for “at this time.”
The venue would feature a 4,000-square-foot grand ballroom, a 1,800-square-foot banquet hall, and a 900-square-foot private bistro. The bistro is ideal for smaller gatherings such as corporate events, showers, private parties and rehearsal dinners. Additionally, the venue offers two 650-square-foot hospitality and bridal suites, each featuring a bar, lounge, makeup desks, private gardens and private baths.
Other amenities include 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.
Previously, the Boone County Planning Commission narrowly voted to recommend denial of the zone change request during a meeting on May 7, which caused a snag in the project’s approval. The commission was sharply divided, passing the denial recommendation in a 6-5 vote.
The planning commission expressed several reservations, mainly regarding noise mitigation, traffic control and the proposed septic system. Due to its proximity to the Westbrook Estates residential neighborhood, several neighboring property owners expressed reservations or outright opposition to the proposed development.
However, the Union City Commission can override or approve the planning commission’s denial recommendation.
McPherson told the commission he believed the event center would be a net positive for Union, arguing that the upscale nature of Allora would differentiate the project from other wedding and event venues throughout Northern Kentucky. McPherson said he wanted to “do right by the community.”
“We’ve always given back in our businesses,” he said. “We give back. I’ve served on several community boards and some well-known boards, and because I believe that’s important, to be a good steward–a good steward of this property, even for the opposition. We want to do it right. We want to be loved by the community, or we won’t be successful.”
McPherson addressed the concerns raised about the project during his presentation, namely regarding the potential impact of noise on the surrounding residences, as well as potential traffic congestion along Hathaway Road.
“I think there was a misinterpretation where we were gonna have some rock concerts or something going on back there,” he said. “We hope to have ceremonies in the back area, receptions inside, because theweddingknot.com says 50% of all brides want their wedding outside with a peaceful environment.”
Rick Hayden, a nearby property owner, expressed his support for the project, telling the commission he believed the facility would be a positive addition to the community. Hayden is a neighbor of the Ferguson family, nearby property owners who showed up at the public hearing to voice support for the project.
“My wife is the sixth generation in the family to live on the family farm in Union,” Hayden said. “I find the event center to be a positive addition to our community in Union. The attention to detail goes beyond the beauty of the building to the planned landscaping and surrounding grounds. The upscale facility fits perfectly at the edge of the Westbrook housing development.”
Conversely, neighboring property owners Dustin and Amy Dichiara expressed their collective opposition to the development, stating that the noise, light and traffic generated by the event center would negatively impact their quality of life. Furthermore, Dustin noted that the proposal fails to demonstrate that the surrounding area has undergone a significant enough economic change to warrant a zone change.
Dustin previously expressed his opposition at the planning commission’s public hearing on April 2.
“It’s not because there’s a lack of venues, so please see this request for what it really is: an owner/developer, identifying a business opportunity and wanting to locate it where it is expressly prohibited based on plans,” he said.
Dustin clarified his objection was not to the development itself, but to its proposed location on Hathaway Road.
“I agree about the due diligence–the design is beautiful, and I think for the right location in Boone County, it would be in a tremendous addition, but just in the middle of a neighborhood, which, you know, Westbrook is not the only neighborhood–there’s dozens and dozens of houses it is going to impact.”
Jill Charles, a nearby homeowner, previously spoke at the May 7 planning commission meeting.
“This concept plan doesn’t meet any, not even one of those zoning requirements for mixed-use plan development,” Charles said. “This privately owned commercial business is completely separate from the rest of the community.”
Concerns were also raised about a possible rise in drunk-driving incidents on Hathaway Road due to the celebratory events hosted at the center. Commissioner Kimberly Tuyn asked Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Smeltzer, who is on the record as a supporter of the project, for his professional opinion on the matter.
Smeltzer responded that in his experience, drunk-driving incidents along Hathaway Road are rare after 11 p.m. — presumably when many of Allora’s potential events would end.
“It’s very rare that we have issues down on Hathaway Road after 11, because it’s just that there aren’t a lot of people that drive that way,” he said.
The commission didn’t take any legislative action at the end of the meeting. Mayor Larry Solomon announced the Commission will vote on this matter at the upcoming caucus meeting on July 21. Should the majority of the Commission approve moving the project forward, an ordinance will have its first reading at the same caucus meeting. A second reading would take place at the August 4 commission meeting.
Should the commission agree with the Boone County Planning Commission’s rejection of this project, a municipal order will be issued, declaring the denial of the developer’s application and closing the matter.
