- Boone County’s zone change committee backed Arlinghaus Builders’ plan to expand the proposed West Ridge subdivision near Union.
- The update adds 24 homes, a walking trail system, and the Bruce Ferguson Nature Area.
A key committee has advanced a proposed zone change in Boone County that, if passed, could expand the scope of a proposed subdivision near Union.
On Oct. 29, the Boone County Planning Commission’s zone change committee recommended approval of a complex zone change requested by Edgewood-based Arlinghaus Builders.
The request involves revising the concept development plan for a six-acre tract at the end of Westfield Lane, or area A, rezoning two smaller parcels, two acres and seven acres known as areas C and D, from Rural Suburban Estates to Agricultural Estate with a Union Town Overlay, and approving a new concept development plan covering approximately 119 acres across areas B, C, D and E.
The proposal consolidates the various zoning areas into two all-residential subdivisions: Westbrook Estates, comprising 178 single-family homes, and West Ridge, comprising 241 single-family homes. Several small tracts of land, such as area A, a plot at the end of Westfield Lane, and parts of area B, are within the city limits of Union.
Because of the split jurisdiction, approval from both the Boone County Fiscal Court and the Union City Commission is required for the zoning map amendment and concept development plan.
“Unless the area is annexed into the City of Union, the zoning map amendment concept development plan and change of concept plans shall only be valid if the proposal is approved by Boone Fiscal Court and Union City Commission,” Commissioner Rick Lunnemann said.
Westbrook Estates is an established subdivision situated just off Old Union Road outside Union. West Ridge, an undeveloped area that will become a subdivision, lies to the southwest of Westbrook Estates.
Although the Boone County Planning Commission documents state that 419 homes are planned, Bob Schroder of Arlinghaus informed LINK nky that the developer is only requesting the changes to construct 24 new homes, which will increase the size of the planned West Ridge subdivision. The new parcels will increase the existing concept plan by 24 homes. The 419 number represents the total number of Arlinghaus homes within each subdivision upon completion.
During the zone change committee meeting, the planning commission staff unveiled two changes to the concept development plan.
“The only two changes that have been made is they (Arlinghaus) have added a walking path in this open space area, as well as identifying that some walking path will occur in this open space area,” Boone County Zoning Administrator Michael Schwartz said. “And secondly, as they indicated at the public hearing, these nine lots, which were previously identified as being within West Ridge, are now going to be in Westbrook Estates.”
The proposed walking trail system was integrated into designated open-space areas and involved transferring nine lots near a pond from the new West Ridge subdivision to the existing Westbrook Estates community for maintenance continuity. The trails will be paved through residential lots and mulched in wooded areas, with the prospective West Ridge Homeowners Association responsible for maintenance.
Schroder also mentioned that the concept plan now features an eight-acre wooded green space, which will be named the Bruce Ferguson Nature Area to honor the land’s former owner.
“We mentioned this–Bruce Ferguson used this for tapping maple syrup, and we’re going to probably put something up there, like the Bruce Ferguson Nature Area–we’ll get with the family to see, but we’d like to put his name on there,” he said.
After the zone change committee confirmed the project was consistent with the Union Town Plan and the Boone County Comprehensive Plan, the committee voted to recommend approval of the zoning map amendment and concept development plan. The request has now been forwarded to the full Boone County Planning Commission for consideration at its Nov. 5 business meeting.
