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Crescent Springs City Council is working with PDS staff to implement a key section of the 2010 Crescent Springs Gateway Study. The plan, which contains numerous recommendations on topics like streetscape to transportation, is currently being used by the city to focus on instituting zoning changes to promote economic development.

Implementation discussions began in the summer of 2017 to review the plan’s recommended land uses and to work towards implementing zoning revisions. Those conversations highlighted the need for more flexibility in the area through zoning for a mix of uses. City officials felt existing regulations in the area were too numerous and restrictive, leading to underutilized land. The proposed amendments will help to address issues in the area that were first formally noted in the 2010 plan.

“Working with city officials to implement some of the plan’s land use recommendations has been a great experience,” said Alex Koppelman, PDS Associate Planner. “The Mixed Commercial Zone encourages development and redevelopment with flexible regulations, allowing for a mix of commercial retail, service, and office uses while also accommodating existing residential uses.”

The city’s amendments consolidates zoning into two zones: Mixed Commercial (MC) and Industrial Park (IP). The MC zone includes most of the uses already permitted in the current zones, lower parking minimums, and establish consistent setback and landscaping requirements. It also allows existing single-family homes to remain in the area without facing issues of non-conformity. Previously, there were eight zoning districts within the approximate 44-acre area, including residential to highway commercial to office.

“It’s always exciting to see our longer-term planning efforts coming to fruition,” said James Fausz, AICP, Long Range Planning Manager for PDS. “I worked on this project during the initial study and remember the area was a challenge with lots of uses in several zones. These draft changes have the potential to provide some much-needed flexibility to allow for a more straightforward approach.”

The amendments were provided with favorable recommendations by the Kenton County Planning Commission after two public hearings. The city has adopted the text amendment and the corresponding map amendment to establish the MC Zone.

The Kenton County Planning Commission (KCPC) and City of Villa Hills issued two favorable recommendations on a proposed mixed-use development. The two requests amended the city’s zoning text and place the new zoning classification on the 86-acre site. In its action to approve, both the KCPC and City found the development will implement goals, objectives, and recommendations of both the Direction 2030 comprehensive plan and the 2017 Villa Hills Study.

A marathon public hearing lasting over five hours preceded the KCPC vote. It included presentations and testimony from dozens of people. Over 350 people attended. Those who spoke on the record included the current property owner, applicant team, proponents of the project, representatives from an organized opposition group, and opponents of the project.

The property, currently owned by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery, was the subject of a recent comprehensive planning analysis conducted by PDS on behalf of the Sisters and the City of Villa Hills.

The study’s task force reviewed the site’s physical attributes, gathered and assessed public input from two open forums, considered findings of an independent market analysis and a traffic study, evaluated interviews of local and regional development experts, and contemplated fiscal examinations of different land use types before making recommendations. Those recommendations were unanimously approved by the city and KCPC, making the study the official comprehensive plan for the area.

After the plan was approved in March 2017, the Sisters issued a request for proposals from developers.

“It was important to us that we use the study that had just been approved as we looked for someone to develop the site,” explained Sister Mary Catherine Wenstrup, Prioress of the St. Walburg Monastery. “We initiated the project for the purpose of funding our retirement liability then shortly learned this [development] could be a way to do something new and special for the area. Of the proposals we received, Ashley’s met all our goals. We are grateful to all who worked so hard to implement the study.”

Ashley Commercial Group’s Sanctuary development proposal encompasses 86 acres of mostly vacant land in northwestern Villa Hills. The company’s design incorporates elements of traditional neighborhood design such as varying housing types, houses oriented closer to the street, alleyways, neighborhood commercial that adds value to the development, active transportation amenities, and recreation and open space that is accessible to everyone in Villa Hills.

The project’s approved plan includes single- and multi-family residential, detached and attached housing, senior cottages, two buildings totaling approximately 43,000 square feet of mixed commercial and residential uses, over 17 acres of open space, and a public overlook of the Ohio River. Ashley indicated the anticipated price points will range from $250,000 to over $1M.

Emi Randall, AICP, RLA, Director of Planning and Zoning for PDS and James Fausz, AICP, Long Range Planning Manager, will be presenting at the National Planning Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on the Direction 2030 online plan. They will be part of a team presentation that details digital planning documents, which also includes Doug McDonald, AICP, CNU-A from Plano, Texas and Martin Scribner, AICP from the City of Maricopa, Arizona. The group will focus on the different approaches of their respective planning efforts, lessons learned from adoption to implementation, and highlight some of the changes in direction that have been necessary along the way.

“It’s very exciting to be speaking in front of my peers about this innovative approach to planning” Fausz said. “Direction 2030 was presented in Seattle in 2015, and we’ve learned a lot since then, both technologically and in terms of how the plan is used.  Hopefully the discussion will inspire others to work on creating their own online plans” he continued.

The group is currently working on putting the finishing touches on their presentation. Their anticipated program includes an overview of the basics of each plan and a panel discussion on some frequently asked questions regarding this plan delivery method.  Be sure to watch for a post-presentation update soon.

At the Esri Geodesign Summit held in January, the Director of Planning and Zoning, Emi Randall and the Director of LINK-GIS, Trisha Brush, gave an innovative presentation highlighting the use of GIS and multi-media for planning efforts. Together, Randall and Brush delivered the message that interactive GIS technologies have the a ability to tell a story that results in data driven decision making.  A full video of this presentation will be made available by ESRI.

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Two simple goals drove initiation of PDS’ NKYmapLAB project: to illustrate the robust analytical capabilities of LINK-GIS and to use those capabilities to support Kenton County’s economic development program. As those goals are being realized now 18 months later, NKYmapLAB has also garnered top honors during this year’s awards program of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-KY).

The 2016 APA-KY Special Merit Award for Outstanding Use of Technology in Planning was given to NKYmapLAB for the project’s ongoing effort to highlight community issues and educate the public using GIS technology.“This award is a great recognition for our team,” said Louis Hill, GISP, AICP, geospatial data analyst for PDS and project manager for NKYmapLAB. “I’d like to think that it acknowledges not only our efforts to better use technology and GIS, but also to use it in a meaningful way—one that makes our cities, our county, and our citizens better informed and more proactive.”

In announcing NKYmapLAB’s initiation last January, PDS’ executive director Dennis Gordon said, “We’ll soon celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of LINK-GIS’ founding. That makes it one of the oldest GIS systems in this part of the country. And, because time has a way of translating into data within these systems, LINK-GIS is a veritable treasure trove of intelligence.”

Gordon went on then to say that he was banking that when the community is exposed to ongoing examples of GIS analytics, more people will come to appreciate what PDS and its partners have built for the community. Somewhat prophetically, he also asserted that outside interests would come to recognize NKYmapLAB’s capabilities.

Some of the topics covered to date include issues as diverse as: energy efficiency; landslides; urban tree canopy; and, walkability—topics that are part of Direction 2030, Kenton County’s new cutting-edge comprehensive plan.

“There’s no secret to the fact that a geographic information system (GIS) can be one of the most potent tools a community can have in its arsenal when it comes to economic development,” said Gordon last January. “The ability to provide enormous amounts of geospatial data in short periods of time can mean the difference between winning or losing a prospect.”

LINK-GIS data have been a useful resource for recent economic development discussions being pursued by members of Kenton County Fiscal Court. Future NKYmapLAB products will begin the public awareness phase of Kenton County’s economic development program.

NKYmapLAB products may be accessed here. Contact Hill and Ryan Kent, GISP, Principal Geospatial Analyst, for more information. Suggestions for future analyses are always welcome.

LINK-GIS is an interlocal partnership made up of Kenton County Fiscal Court, SD1, the Northern Kentucky Water District, and PDS. PDS is the managing partner.

minicellThe Kenton County Planning Commission adopted new cell tower regulations earlier this year with several goals in mind. The most important of these goals was to empower its incorporated communities to control the location and design of small cell towers within their jurisdictions.

The most dramatic changes to the regulations are within a new section that addresses small cell towers. These facilities are essentially telephone poles in the rights of way that have cell tower equipment attached. This new technology is exploding in the region as well as across the country.

Since adoption of the new regulations, PDS staff has reviewed and approved several new small cell towers within Kenton County jurisdictions.

As the new regulations have been applied, they are meeting this goal by requiring all parties involved to meet and discuss the potential location and design of the new small cell towers with community leaders.

The new regulations have also streamlined the approval process for these towers. Previous to the new cell tower regulations being adopted, all new cell towers – regardless of height or location – had to go through the state-mandated uniform application process. This involves very detailed engineering reports, extensive documentation, and broad reaching notification to the surrounding communities. The uniform application process was drafted at a time when tall cell towers over 150 feet tall were the norm.

While this level of detail is necessary and desirable for the traditional tall cell towers, the planning commission saw this as overreach for small cell towers. There may be dozens, if not hundreds, of these small cell towers across Kenton County sometime in the future. Holding a public hearing for each one was seen as unrealistic.

Finally, the new cell tower regulations have preserved the uniform application process for any towers over 50 feet. This means that if anything taller than a utility pole is proposed, communities can rest assured that there will be ample opportunity for review and public input through Kenton County Planning Commission’s public hearing process.

Through careful planning and involving many stakeholders, the new cell tower regulations are meeting the expectations and goals that the county planning commission set out to address. You may review the expanded cell tower regulations here.

Plan4HealthKenton County’s Plan4Health Coalition was recognized recently at the American Planning Association’s (APA) Fall Leadership Meetings in Washington, DC. The meetings brought together chapter presidents and planners from across the country to learn about the latest topics in the field and plan for the future of the association.

James Fausz, AICP, a senior planner at PDS attended the meetings on behalf of the Kentucky Chapter of APA.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see work from our Plan4Health project presented by national APA staff to planners and chapter leaders as examples of high quality work,” Fausz said. “We know that we do good work for our communities, but it was exciting to see that work presented as an example for the rest of the country.”

The Kenton County Plan4Health project was a yearlong planning effort to increase access to nutritious food across the county. The program worked to achieve this goal through several efforts including building a better link between urban markets and rural food producers, focusing on corner stores in urban communities, and even hosting a healthy foods summit near the end of the program.

“From the start, the Kenton County team hit the ground running with a clear strategy for assessing the environment and taking a comprehensive look at the food system,” said Anna Ricklin, AICP, Manager of the Planning and Community Health Center for APA. “Their work and its results serve as excellent examples of what can happen when staff from public health and planning agencies come together with a united goal to support community needs.”

The Kenton County Plan4Health program was established by a $135,000 grant from APA via its partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The program was a collaborative effort and included professional staff from the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, Inc., American Planning Association-Kentucky Chapter, Northern Kentucky Health Department, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), and PDS.

The Latonia Small Area Study Strategic Action Committee (SAS) and The Center for Great Neighborhoods received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation last year to raise awareness about Ritte’s East Historic District and the benefits of living within a historic district.

16387404_10155697243614622_8975742239352677771_nIn addition to these signs, the SAS group created “Kentucky Historic Preservation Tax Credits: What, Why, and How,” a simple guide explaining historic tax credits to Kentucky property owners within historic districts.

The Latonia SAS meets on the 4th Thursday every month at 6pm to discuss small area study recommendations and work toward revitalizing Latonia into an area  that is attractive and engaging for all segments of a vital community: youth, young families, adults, seniors, business owners/operators, and more! All are welcome to attend the meetings. Contact Planning and Development Services or The Center for Great Neighborhoods for more information.

PDS staff recently crafted new city data sheets to offer snapshots of demographic trends, public infrastructure, and development activity for each of Kenton County’s 20 jurisdictions. The sheets are updates of research conducted as a part of Direction 2030: Your Choice Your Voice, Kenton County’s comprehensive plan adopted in 2014.

The updated sheets are now available by clicking here.

This edition of the city data sheets features information from a variety of public sources as well as local LINK-GIS data. Some of the most notable additions to the sheets are an inventory of street and sidewalk length, park and tree canopy acreage, traffic counts sourced from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and an assessment of each city’s potential for solar energy production. The sheets also provide housing statistics, demographic data, and a two-year record of building permit requests.

PDS staff presented the sheets to city administrators in each jurisdiction, highlighting local trends within the context of the county.

“The city data sheets provided by PDS show positive trends for our city,” says Chris Moriconi, City Administrator for Independence. “Property values have increased over the past decade along with median household income. I was also excited to see that our population is expected to continue to grow into the year 2020. We are very happy to have this information as it shows our city is moving in the right direction.”

The city administrators also reviewed the information provided by PDS staff, shared local data with staff, and discussed changes they thought might be necessary for the sheets. To ensure the accuracy of statistics, housing and demographic representations were drawn from 2000 and 2010 census tables using 100% survey data.

Staff plans to incorporate some census estimates for years succeeding 2010 in the next update to the data sheets.

In early August, PDS staff completed a draft of Covington Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. The document was designed to help City staff make important future decisions regarding parks and recreation. The guiding principle of the plan is that a healthy, thriving park system strengthens communities and enriches the economy of a city by making its neighborhoods more vibrant and attractive places to live and work.

The recommendations within the document are intended to guide and prioritize future improvements and investments into facilities owned and maintained by the City. The plan is the result of multiple efforts to create a plan that incorporates input from the public and city staff to combine local knowledge and institutional history for the betterment of Covington.

“The plan recognizes the vital role in promoting new private investment, increasing property values, city revenues, and also attracting new businesses and residents,” said Mike Ionna, AICP project manager.  He continued, “bottom line–parks are a good financial investment for a city.”

The planning process included an inventory of all park assets and facilities within the city, a digital survey for public input, a demographic analysis of specific park facilities, extensive research on best management practices and a comparative analysis utilizing National Park and Recreation Association software to benchmark Covington park facilities against those in similar cities.

The document is currently being reviewed by city staff and is intended to be taken before the City Commission for adoption later this fall.

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