- Committee recommended denial of a rezoning request for a 365-unit residential development near Graves Road.
- Officials cited excessive density, exceeding the 12 units-per-acre guideline, as the primary concern.
- Final decision moves to the full Boone County Planning Commission on April 1.
The Boone County Planning Commission’s Zone Change Committee dealt a blow to the hotly debated Hebron Pointe North proposal due to concerns over housing density.
On Wednesday, the committee recommended denial of a zone change request from Grand Communities LLC, a land developer associated with Erlanger-based Fischer Homes, to change the zoning designation for two parcels at the intersection of Williams Road and Worldwide Boulevard, just off Graves Road near the Interstate-275 exit.
The proposed rezoning affects approximately 24 parcels:
- Area A (around 20 acres): Would change from Graves Road Residential and Graves Road Commercial/Planned Development to Urban Residential Two.
- Area B (around four acres): Would change from Suburban Residential One, Graves Road Residential, and Graves Road Commercial/Planned Development to Urban Residential Two.
The development proposal calls for the construction of 365 residential units in total, including 304 ‘garden-style’ apartments, 28 townhomes and 33 stacked rental flats distributed across 22 buildings. The development is being led by three Northern Kentucky-based developers: Arlinghaus Homes, Fischer Homes and Berling Investments.
A study of housing in Northern Kentucky has revealed troubling trends for housing in the region, with the largest need being for “workforce housing” for households earning between $15 and $25 per hour, with monthly housing costs between $500 and $1,500. The region needs about 3,000 more housing units to provide for people within that income range, according to the study. The demand for one- to two-bedroom rentals and owned properties consistently exceeds their supply, while supply for three and four-bedroom properties consistently exceeds demand. The study suggests that the region needs to build 6,650 housing units to support economic development in the next five years, which equates to 1,330 units per year. Read more here.
Understanding NKY’s housing shortage
Committee member Rick Lunnemann expressed concerns over the proposed housing density for the project. The initial proposal – shared during a public hearing on March 4 – requested an increase from the permitted 12 units per acre to approximately 15.25 units per acre, leading to 78 additional units beyond what the current zoning allows.
The Graves Road Residential Overlay District permits a maximum density of eight dwelling units per acre, with apartment units allowed at up to twelve units per acre.
“I cannot support this project because we’re deviating too far from the intent of what was supposed to be here,” he said. “I think the developer, if they truly wanted to, could reduce the number of units to comply with what the code says.”
Committee member Corrin Gulick concurred with Lunnemann, telling the developers that she believed the proposed density was too high.
“I don’t like being over the density,” she said. “I think we’re too high over the density, and there’s not enough of a transition to sell me, because we have an apartment right next to a single-family without any townhome transition.”
Representatives for the developers presented a revised plan that lowered the density slightly to about 14.75 units per acre. However, several members of the committee stood firm in their opposition.
After about 40 minutes of deliberation, the committee ultimately voted to recommend denial of the proposal, citing inconsistency with the comprehensive plan and excessive density.
During the previous public hearing, several members of the community opposed the proposal, expressing worries about how the development might alter the surrounding neighborhoods’ character and contribute to local school overcrowding, among other issues.
The area around the Graves Road exit in northwestern Boone County has experienced significant commercial growth in recent years. The area is the future site of The Shoppes at Hebron Pointe, a development that includes a new Publix grocery store that is currently under construction. Opposite the construction site is a new Wawa, the first to open in Northern Kentucky.
The full planning commission is scheduled to vote on the committee’s recommendation of denial at its upcoming business meeting on April 1.
