Sunday, March 21, 1999
Boone Co. developments move forward
Union talking with Florence
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Two major Boone County developments took a turn last week.
In one, Florence and Union are now negotiating a settlement over which will annex 347 acres off Longbranch Road west of Union.
In the other, in the north end of the county, Arlinghaus Builders got the OK from the Boone County Planning Commission to rezone 592 acres west of North Bend Road.
Union city officials say they will consider, among other options, rescinding their annexation ordinance andworking with Florence to look out for the best interest of Union residents.
“The first thing we want to do is do the best for the people of Union that the commission is capable of doing,” said Eddie Johnson, a Union City Commission member.
Mr. Johnson said he did not consider pending lawsuits as pressure to settle the matter.
“I don't have an ax over my head to make this decision,” he said. “We're all trying to make the right decision for the people of Union.”
Union Mayor Warren Moore said there has been no settlement. “We're doing some talking,” he said.
Florence wants the land for a development called Long branch Park that's been proposed by Fischer Development Co., Miller Developers and Boone County developer Tom Schreiber.
The developers say they want a community of neighborhoods in a parklike setting. There would be a maximum of 990 homes with prices ranging from $100,000 to $400,000.
The project would be spread over 10 to 15 years.
The Union City Commission will discuss the matter at its next meeting, April 12.
In a move to acquire the land in late December, Florence approved an ordinance saying that it intends to annex more than 350 acres proposed for the development along Longbranch and Fowler Creek roads.
But Union also passed ordinances to annex the land as part of a larger parcel.
Union officials didn't intend to develop the parcel, but moved to annex it after receiving requests from residents opposed to development.
Florence sued Union in Boone Circuit Court asking that annexation rights be given to Florence.
Union had claimed first right of annexation because its vote was taken an hour before the Florence meeting. Florence officials claimed Union did not give proper notice of its meeting and asked the court to decide.
Meanwhile, the proposed development off North Bend Road in Hebron will now move on to the fiscal court for a final vote on rezoning about 590 acres 21/2 miles near Interstate 275 from agricultural to residential planned development.
Arlinghaus Builders wants to build more than 1,200 single-family and multifamily dwelling units there.
The developers have also offered to give land to the Boone County School District for an elementary school. The site is on 14 acres off Ky. 237 near North Bend Road.
If that site is chosen, a building similar to Erpenbeck Elementary would be built. By bypassing land costs and using existing designs, the school district would save about $700,000.
Bob Schroder, vice president of Arlinghaus Builders, said the developers have also added five acres for a park next to the school.
“We were happy that it passed and we're hoping the fiscal court does the same,” Mr. Schroder said.
The fiscal court will vote on the zone change in April.
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