- Kenton County Fiscal Court voted 3-0 to allow conditional storage of RVs, boats, and campers in Rural Commercial Zones.
- The change follows a nearly two-year debate and shifts the proposal from a permitted use to a conditional use with strict controls.
- Opponents warned it could harm the county’s rural character.
Kenton County has amended its zoning code to allow the storage of campers, boats and recreational vehicles as a conditional use in Rural Commercial Zones, capping a nearly two-year debate.
On Aug. 12, the Kenton County Fiscal Court conducted a second reading of an ordinance that allows for the storage of campers, boats and recreational vehicles as a conditional use in Rural Commercial Zones within unincorporated parts of the county. The fiscal court held its first reading during a meeting on July 8.
The ordinance was approved with a 3-0 vote, with Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann and Commissioners Joe Nienaber and Beth Sewell voting in favor. Commissioner Jon Draud was absent from the meeting.
Commissioner Beth Sewell explained why she believed the current version of the zoning text amendment was appropriate, saying that she felt it was a suitable compromise.
“In the end, this is a compromise that I believe best suits the applicant’s desire to make his property profitable, but is also sensitive to the surrounding community, and I believe government has to be careful not to prevent private landowners from making a living off of their land,” she said.
Knochelmann concurred with Sewell’s assessment.
“Because we have to look at change and growth in our community, we got to be challenged,” he said. “With these situations, sometimes you have to make a decision. But that text amendment is appropriate.”
Overall, the zone change amendment has been a polarizing issue, with residents expressing concerns about storage lot sizes, their impact on personal properties and traffic, and the surrounding rural landscape.
Several individuals expressed opposition to the zone change amendment prior to the second reading.
South Kenton County resident Cindy Stanley was one of those people.
“I think the other thing with when we change zoning laws like this, it also presents a creep,” she said. “So you’ve got one, it changed here, and then all of a sudden, it’s changing here and here and here, and the next thing you know, you have different properties that are really causing the beauty of an area to really change significantly.”
Henry Menke, a resident of southern Kenton County said the change would have a negative effect on the county’s rural areas.
“In fact, it (zone change amendment) would do the opposite, and would become an example of the suburban/industrial sprawl creeping into the rural area,” he said.
Going forward, Rural Commercial zones will permit the storage of campers, boats, and RVs without requiring a principal building, or with a principal building up to 15,000 sq. ft. Additional controls for commercial storage and outdoor yard space, among other aspects, were also introduced.
In essence, the amendment doesn’t allow automatic campers, boats and RV storage in Rural Commercial zones. Instead, it is designated as a conditional use that requires approval from the board of adjustment and is subject to strict development controls.
The purpose of these zones in Kenton County is to enable retail and professional service businesses within rural areas. These rural businesses are generally smaller in size, intensity, and scale compared to those in other commercial districts. The development guidelines aim to preserve the rural character of the area.
Allowed businesses within the zone include bakeries, auto body shops, banks, hardware stores, offices, medical clinics and nursery schools, among others. These businesses must not exceed 5,000 square feet in size.
The debate over the text amendment started in October 2023 when Arf Enterprises LLC began discussions with Kenton County’s Planning & Development Services to change the zoning rules, allowing the storage of campers, boats and RVs.
The fiscal court then sponsored a proposed text amendment to the zoning district. It directed Kenton County Administrator Joe Shriver to submit a text amendment application to the planning commission.
On March 7, 2024, the planning commission held a public hearing on the proposal and ultimately provided an unfavorable recommendation, despite an initial favorable recommendation from planning commission staff.
In January, attorney Jack Gatlin, who has represented Arf Enterprises LLC throughout the process, delivered a presentation to the fiscal court. Afterwards, the legislative body decided to review the case and will provide its feedback later.
In June, the fiscal court held a public hearing to gather community feedback and discuss options for the amendment. Initially, the amendment was proposed as a permitted use; however, the fiscal court determined it would be better suited as a conditional use, aligning with staff recommendations and the comprehensive plan.
Ultimately, the fiscal court conducted first and second readings to approve the ordinance.
Prior to the vote on Aug. 12, Gatlin expressed that he believed the amendment was reasonable.
“We certainly understand the concerns of the citizens, but as the court is well aware, this is a text amendment that we’re asking for a conditional use,” he said.