The Kenton County Fiscal Court has officially closed the book on its rural land Site Readiness Initiative, or SRI. While the SRI itself is officially over, the tension between preserving Kenton County’s agricultural heritage and preparing for regional economic growth remains an issue for the community.
During its meeting on Tuesday, the fiscal court passed a resolution declaring that the initiative’s work is complete and that “no further actions under it are proposed or required.” The decision caps off a contentious debate led by residents of South Kenton County who fear for the security of their properties in the face of possible future development.
The Site Readiness Initiative, a joint venture between the Fiscal Court, Northern Kentucky Port Authority, and Kenton County Planning and Development Services, was launched to catalog available land ideal for industrial development in South Kenton County, particularly as it related to infrastructure. The initiative aimed to assess if areas in the south county were capable of handling light industrial economic growth, especially in the face of development expansion in nearby Boone County.
Despite the county’s assurances that the initiative was simply a planning tool to manage organic industrial growth, the project proved deeply unpopular in South Kenton County. Residents filled the fiscal court chambers at Tuesday’s meeting, expressing fears that the SRI would put them and their land at risk, and imploring the court to reconsider their resolution.
It was clear that the resolution did not erase residents’ deep-seated concerns. One speaker noted that while the study might be over, the underlying issue is now about “trust, representation, and governance,” adding that public trust cannot be repaired with a simple resolution.
Another resident challenged the county’s reassurance that the focus areas only encompass 3.5% of rural land, asking what prevents future fiscal courts from adding “another 1,900 acres and then another.”
Yet another speaker expressed frustration over the area’s inadequate infrastructure, warning that local roads cannot handle an influx of truck traffic and accusing the court of turning a “deaf ear” to taxpayers. Others pointed to the “thousands of signatures” ignored by the court, with one resident declaring that the end of the study does not change their opposition to future industrialized development.
Before passing on the resolution, Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann addressed the packed room, insisting the initiative was “literally about planning” rather than any agenda to pave over the region. He stated the county was officially passing the resolution to put residents’ minds at ease, telling the crowd, “We’re putting [it] to bed to tell people, don’t worry… there’s no zoning changes, there’s no effort [by] the county ever to buy property to condemn it.”
While acknowledging the community’s frustration, Knochelmann warned that outside interest in the rural land is inevitable due to its proximity to the expressway.
“It’s going to get attention from property owners; it’s going to have attention of people out of the area who might want to buy it,” he said. “It’s not driven by us, it’s driven by the market.” He concluded his remarks by asking the community to “give each other a little grace” as they continue to navigate the region’s future.
The approved resolution reinforces the county’s stance that the initiative was designed to establish “clear physical boundaries” to limit development to specific areas while protecting the rest of southern Kenton County’s rural character.
The court’s final analysis narrowed the focus to two primary areas totaling roughly 1,900 acres near major transportation corridors like I-75 and US-25.
Focus Area 1 contains approximately 900 acres along the Boone County line near I-75, including land north of Walton-Nicholson Road and west of Banklick Road. The resolution notes that about half of this land has been zoned for industrial use since 2006.
Focus Area 2 contains approximately 1,000 acres between US-25 and the Boone County line, an area designated for future industrial use in the county’s comprehensive plan since 2020.
In the resolution, the Fiscal Court emphasized that these 1,900 acres represent just 3.5% of Kenton County’s 55,000 unincorporated acres, “permitting 53,000 acres to continue in its rural form for generations to come.” Furthermore, the court formally stated it “never contemplated wholesale zoning changes” or the mass purchase of private property.
With the passage of the June 30 resolution, the formal study and planning phase under the SRI banner has ended. Yet, the continued possibility of economic development in the south county will likely continue coming up in the future.