A planned Kroger development in Northern Kentucky won't move forward as proposed. Boone County commissioners unanimously rejected a rezoning for a Kroger grocery store, gas pumps and other commercial space at Paddock Drive and Frogtown Connector Road in Richwood, WCPO 9 reported.
The planning commission's view
The county planning commission had recommended denial on a 14-0 vote, WCPO reported. It found the plan to rezone the 20-acre lot was inconsistent with Boone County's comprehensive plan because it wasn't designed to reduce impacts on nearby residential developments.
In a presentation to commissioners, Zoning Planner Steve Lilly raised significant concerns about traffic on what WCPO called an already notoriously slow roadway. He also argued there hadn't been a significant economic change in the area that would require switching the zoning to commercial.
Neighbors speak up
Residents who live off Paddock Drive told commissioners the area can't handle more traffic. "All it does is make Paddock Drive residents wait and wait, and then we wait and wait, just so we can get to the next light to wait longer," Diana Ramsey said, according to WCPO.
Debbie Kahill worried about more traffic through her subdivision, which has an outlet onto Paddock. "We have a lot of children, younger people pushing strollers and e-bikes, scooters, bicycles, walkers, and no sidewalks, so people have to walk in the road," she said.
Kroger's argument
Attorney Kevin Hoskins, representing Kroger and the property owner, argued the county had to approve the rezoning if it met any one of three conditions: it follows the comprehensive plan, the zoning change is appropriate, or there's been a significant economic change in the region that makes the change necessary.
"We submit that each of these conditions is present, and, again, we only need to show one of the findings," Hoskins said, according to WCPO. Commissioners disagreed and voted to deny. Hoskins did not comment further after the vote.
The land isn't going away
Kahill said she knows the property will be developed eventually. "I know eventually something will go in that area. It's 20 acres of prime property, but I think this was way too big of an undertaking," she told WCPO.
WCPO's report did not say whether Kroger or the owner plans to revise the proposal, appeal or pursue another use.
Why it matters for contractors
A new grocery store with fuel pumps and additional commercial space on 20 acres is the kind of retail job that keeps site contractors, concrete crews, steel erectors, roofers, and MEP trades busy for a year or more. Its denial takes a sizable project out of the Boone County pipeline, at least for now.
The reasons for the denial are the bigger lesson. Boone County officials leaned on the comprehensive plan, the lack of buffering for nearby homes and traffic on an already congested road. Developers and contractors who help with early site planning should take note: projects that show how they'll protect neighbors, through buffers, site layout and road improvements, have a better shot at approval. A design-build team that can put real traffic and buffering solutions on the table early can add value before a single permit is pulled.
For Northern Kentucky contractors, the Paddock Drive and Frogtown Connector site is worth watching. As Kahill said, 20 acres of prime property will likely see some development eventually. A smaller or differently designed plan could come back, and when it does, road and traffic improvements may be part of the scope.