Two real estate proposals recently approved by a crucial committee are being pursued by the Boone County Planning Commission.
The Zone Change Committee of the Planning Commission authorized two changes to the concept development plan last week: one for a new Bank of America branch and one for a Wawa.
At the board’s upcoming regular meeting on August 6, the full planning commission will examine both requests. If granted, the requests will be brought before the Boone County Fiscal Court, which has the authority to approve them after either a first or second reading. They have the option to reject the request.
Wawa
A concept development plan modification to allow the construction of a Wawa petrol station in Florence was approved by the zone change committee.
The request was initially reviewed by the entire planning commission during a public session on July 2. At 8450 US-42 in Florence, landowners Vuong Xuan Nguyen of Walton and The Deters Company, a Burlington fast-food franchisee, wish to build a Wawa convenience store and gas station.
The request to update the concept development plan was made by CESO Inc., a Miamisburg, Ohio-based developer. The development team and landowners intend to tear down the current restaurant, convenience store, and petrol station on the property.
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The development team plans to replace these buildings with a 6,375-square-foot new Wawa convenience store and gas station. A 7,100-square-foot gasoline canopy and ten fuel pump islands will be part of the project.
A nearby property owner named Brenda Haynes voiced worries during the public hearing that the new gas station and the ensuing traffic could have a detrimental effect on her quality of life.
The effect of tractor-trailer traffic on the proposed Wawa, especially with reference to larger tanker tankers crossing lanes on US-42 to access the interstate, was a major worry at the zone change committee meeting.
Truck deliveries to the shop would take place two to three times a week, usually between 7 and 11 a.m., according to Wawa representative Patrick Warnement.
In order to fix this, Wawa agreed to extend the US 42 curb cut by 12 feet to make turns simpler and to erect a directional sign at the fuel tanks that directs vehicles to exit onto Hopeful Church Road.
“We’ll put up a small sign that says truck drivers should go to Hopeful Church Road,” he said.
Although Wawa has announced several projects in Northern Kentucky as part of its regional development, it has not yet opened a location in Boone County.
Bank of America
A concept development plan modification for a new Bank of America branch close to Union and Florence was approved by the zone change committee of the planning commission.
Situated at the northeast corner of the intersection of US 42 and Farmview Drive, at 8748 US 42, the site in question is roughly one acre in size. Commercial/Union Neighborhood Office/Urban Residential Two/Planned Development is the existing zone assigned to the site.
During the July 2 public meeting, Yemo Koo, a Bank of America official, initially presented the concept development plan revision request to the planning commission.
According to Koo, Bank of America intends to build a 4,500-square-foot structure with 34 parking spots and a drive-thru. Four automobiles will be able to pass through the drive-thru simultaneously.
The location will be a component of the larger Farmview Commons development, which will house a Publix grocery store as its primary tenant, occupying 56,264 square feet. A master plan for the Publix complex was authorized by the planning commission earlier this year.
Two commercial outlots with construction sizes ranging from 4,500 to 6,650 square feet were authorized under this plan. One of these outlots will be used by the new bank branch.
The building’s intended exterior was one of the issues brought up by the planning commission. At first, Bank of America intended to cover a significant portion of the building’s exterior with Arctic white hardie board panels.
Bank of America altered the external material after a number of planning commission members expressed disapproval of the facade. In the future, brick will be used on the building’s facade to better blend in with the architectural style of the neighborhood.
As a result, the applicant’s plan now looks very different. Boone County Planner Steve Lilly stated that they are now recommending a facade that is mostly made of brick. Very rapidly, it wraps around all four sides.
Koo and Bank of America were commended by Commissioner Rick Lunnemann for putting the adjustments into effect.
I think the changes you ve made have gone a long way to really improving the development itself, Lunnemann said.
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