Planning Design Studio Comprehensive/Regional Focus PLAN 3031-01 Instructors: Vikas Mehta & Conrad Kickert School of Planning College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning University of Cincinnati Kenton County & KY 536 Project Final Report April 30, 2015 Contributors: Alex Byrd Madison Schillig Toni Strauch Live, Play, Grow Kenton County is a regional vision plan that will guide Kenton County and the new KY 536 expansion into the future. Throughout the semester, we have taken care to evaluate and analyze the conditions of the area, in order to create and assemble a vision plan that will accomplish the goals and expectations of all the stakeholders associated with this project.
Contents Introduction
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First Impressions
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Initial Research
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Goals, Visions, and Objectives
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Live Kenton County
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Play Kenton County
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Grow Kenton County
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Conclusion
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Overall Vision
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Introduction Project Background Kenton County lies directly south, and across the river from the City of Cincinnati. It is one of 15 other counties that make up the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Cincinnati, and contains large cities such as Covington and Independence. On the west, it is bordered by I-75/71, and on the east, the Licking River. Kentucky Route 536 runs laterally from Boone County, through Kenton County, and on into Campbell County, and is one of the only east-west connectors in the area. Over the 11-mile stretch through Kenton County, the
the road contains many stops, blind turns, and often unexpectedly drops off and starts up again. The landscape along the road is very diverse, displaying examples of suburban residential development, commercial centers, agricultural fields, barns, and fences, as well as densely forested and severely steep terrain. In an effort to improve connectivity along the corridor, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has begun planning an expansion project for the western half of the road which would add an additional driving lane each direction, as well as add functionality for other modes of transportation. Additionally, OKI is in the scoping phase of a project that would address the eastern half of the route in the years to come. Project Goals In accordance with Direction 2030, the Kenton County Comprehensive Plan, the impact and opportunities offered by this roadway expansion project should be thoroughly evaluated before construction is commenced. Throughout the semester and throughout this report, we have taken a critical look at the existing conditions of the area. And, through evaluation of social, political, economic, and natural factors, we have developed a strategic action plan which would not only take advantage of the opportunities offered by this development, by also preserve the character of Kenton County, a place that thousands of residents proudly call home.
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First Impressions
Our initial impression of the area was that it was very rural but mixed into that rural fabric was trace amounts of industrial, plenty of suburbs and a main strip of commercial development. We were asked to make a Found Objects model of the area based off of our impressions which is pictured above. Various colors and textures of broken glass were used to represent the different zones of this area.
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Initial Research Kenton County is an area of 164 square miles located at the confluence of the Licking River and Ohio River. According to the 2010 Census Kenton County was the third most populated county in Kentucky having close to 160,000 residents. This popular county came about in 1840 and is named for Simon Kenton, a historical figure in the state and also the name of the local high school.
During an interview with two members from Southern Kenton County Community Council it was discussed that: The community is very untrusting of what OKI is doing and they don’t believe them when they say that it is for safety but rather for economic gain, If it is for economic gain they would just like honesty about it. The communities #1 priority is safety and would like to see slower speed limits and a bike lane. They have a very strong desire for the area to stay rural, if there is development they want the development to reflex on the character of the community. They do not wish to be a drive through community but rather give people a reason to stop in the area and stay awhile. Our plan took into account the topics addressed in this interview and the thoughts and feelings of the residents
During the interview the community members also mentioned the OKI Parks & Rec survey (see below) that accurately represents the type of development the community would like to see in Kenton County’s future. The people of Kenton County would like to see more outdoor recreation based development such as parks, bike and walking trails, horse trails, and educational outdoor activities. They would rather see this type of development in Kenton County than unwanted commercial development.
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Goals, Vision, and Objectives Our plan focuses on connecting Kenton County through economic development that promotes health and well-being and reflects the rural character of the area. We plan to achieve this through three phases: live, play, and grow. Our goals and objectives for this project is to preserve the forest land as well as to implement recreation activities to engage residents and visitors to the neighborhood. To better connect them with nature and positively impact their lifestyles. Our vision is to create a network of outdoor activities that encourage the recreational use of the existing landscape as well as future development, promoting health and well-being of current residents. Our overall values are preservation, recreation, health, and connecting with the natural environment.
Live
Play
Grow
LIVE Kenton County
PLAY Kenton County
GROW Kenton County
Preserve and enhance the Kenton County lifestyle through focused infill development and alternative transportation networks.
Promote a healthy and active lifestyle through a system of diverse recreational activities, environmental education opportunities, and agritourism endeavors.
Protect the Southern Kenton County rural lifestyle through targeted suburban development and residential design guidelines.
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Live Kenton County
Live
Existing Retail Bike, Pedestrian and Horse Paths Concentrated Infill Development Examples of Infill Development
Preserve and enhance the Kenton County lifestyle through focused infill development and alternative transportation networks. Through live we hope to focus on taking what Kenton county already has to offer and enhancing it through added infill development in concentrated areas. Another important part of live are the proposed bike and horse trails. We want to closely incorporate both the development and the bike trails. That way the development can gain business from being along the bike trails.
In the meeting with community members from the Southern Kenton Community county they expressed a want for a bike path along the road to help improve safety. So in our plan we proposed a bike trail that reflects just that, that was originally planned by OKI. So while the main part of the bike paths, originally planned by OKI run along KY 536 they also connect some of the Northern suburbs. The additional paths would connect to a larger system of paths that go all the way to the Miami River.
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Existing Retail
Madison
This map shows existing retail in the area. It is clear that the majority of the existing retail is focused in the middle of KY 536, especially in Downtown Independence and along Route 17. Much of the other retail is closely tied with the suburbs. A lot of existing retails spans the area from Downtown Independence to the library, a well traveled route for many of the residents of this area.
Bike, Pedestrian and Horse Paths
This proposed system of paths would span the length of KY 536, better connect the suburbs and also go on to connect to a larger system of bike paths that go all the way to the Miami River. The horse trails keep in consistency with the rural character and give family and friends a different weekend experience.
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Concentrated Infill Development
Madison
This map shows the different aspects of Live, existing retail, proposed development and trails as a connected system working together. The area with the most focused development would span from downtown Independence to the library. This was a focus area because it’s where a lot of existing development already exists and there is plenty of room for potential development as well. Pictured on the next page is what the development could look like; working with the existing development while adding new buildings and working on the street beautification of the area.
Examples of Infill Development These renderings show an intersection across from the Courthouse in Downtown Independence. They show the possibility of keeping old buildings along with rehabbing others and working on the street beautification in the area.
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Play Kenton County
Play
Existing Recreation Outdoor Facilities Proposed Recreation Amphitheater Park
Promote a healthy and active lifestyle through a system of diverse recreational activities, environmental education opportunities, and agritourism endeavors. Through play, we wanted to create more connectivity along KY536 through recreational development. After looking at the survey results of the top ten most needed outdoor facilities, we realized there was a strong need for this type of development and we wanted to give the community the recreational development they wanted and that would benefit them most.
recreational activities, environmental educational opportunities, and agritourism. Through implementing these recreational development plans, we believe that the needs of the Kenton County community will be satisfied and that Kenton County as a whole will benefit.
One of our main focuses from the beginning of this project was on recreation. We decided to focus on
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Existing Recreation
ALEX
Shown on the left is a map representing the existing recreation in Kenton County. The recreational facilities are broken down into four different categories. The first category, outdoor activities park, represents parks with a playground and benches. Sports parks are parks with sports fields, shelters, and other similar types of sports related development. Temporary activities include pop-up and seasonal events, such as corn mazes, hayrides, apple picking, farmers markets, etc. Academic activities are represented by activities that take place at the library and seasonal events at Memorial Park.
Outdoor Facilities Survey During the interview with the the Kenton County community members, the survey about the top ten most needed outdoor facilities was brought to our attention. Throughout this entire project, our number one priority was to keep the wants and needs of the community in mind. Since the results of the survey showed that the Kenton County community needed more recreational development, we wanted to make sure that we fulfilled these needs of the community. After taking a closer look at the recreational facilities that are currently surrounding KY536, we came to a realization that the majority of these recreational facilities are on the western half and there are not many facilities on the eastern, more rural side.
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Proposed Recreation
ALEX
As you can see on the map on the left, we proposed a wide range of activities and recreation in a variety of areas. These activities range from permanent and temporary parks, educational activities, community gardens, river access, seasonal events, and agritourism. Upon implementation, there could be more or less development depending on the wants and needs of the Kenton County community.
Proposed Park
On a vacant site on the eastern half south of KY536, we are proposing an amphitheatre. We thought this would be a good location for this type of development because there is a lack of recreational facilities on the eastern half and the site is also flat and surrounded by large wooded areas. Throughout the year, we are proposing temporary development at the park such as pop-up parks, concerts, food trucks, and other seasonal activities.
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Grow Kenton County
Grow
Existing Development Conservation Zones Primary Development Secondary Development
Protect the Southern Kenton County rural lifestyle through targeted suburban development and residential design guidelines. The third and final stage of our proposal, Live, Play, Grow Kenton County, focusses on the future development opportunities that the KY 536 expansion project has to offer the area. By adding extra lanes and removing stops from the western portion of the roadway, connectivity will be improved. Independence, lying just a short drive from Downtown Cincinnati and other employment centers, as well as just off the newly improved throughway, will become a prime spot for affordable suburban living op
options sought by many modern middle-class families. In an effort to constrict developers to locations which will benefit not only their companies’ profits, but also benefit the City of Independence and it’s surrounding areas for the generations to come, we have classified the KY 536 area into three different categories; Existing Development, Conservation Zones, Prime Suggested Development, and Secondary Suggested Development.
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Existing Development
Southern Kenton County, a mix of several different types of landscapes, has relatively concentrated development focused on the eastern half and near the intersection of KY 536 and KY 17. A significant portion of the existing development is seen in the form of medium to low density single-family residential, with houses resting on half and full acre lots.
Conservation Zones
TONI
Added here are the areas that we have designated as conservation areas. These were carefully defined on the basis of 3 factors; terrain composition, current use, and topography. Terrain composition was analyzed based on watershed patterns, soil composition, and other natural processes and characteristics that are important to conserve and protect. Current use defines whether it is important that what the land is being used for is maintained, ie. farms and forested land. The final factor, topography is important to consider when developing land. Steep slopes can cause an increase in price, design complexity, and need for infrastructure.
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Prime Suggested Development Based on several factors, including existing development, development suitability, availability of utilities and proximity to services, as well as the retail development and recreational activities that have been suggested in this document, we have designated several areas which are prime for future residential development and growth. Developments in these areas will be subject to design guidelines and form-based code which will address the manner in which developers are allowed to construct subdivisions in the future. These guidelines will reflect the want to maintain the character of the area, while simultaneously taking advantage of the opportunities the KY 536 project will offer.
Secondary Suggested Development The remaining areas surrounding KY 536 that have not been designated as existing development, conservation zones, or prime suggested development have been classified as secondary suggested develop- ment areas. While their locations and impact on their surrounding area are not as ideal as that of the prime suggested development areas, they are still fit for development in the case that Southern Kenton County’s growth explodes. Development in these areas should the situation come about should be lower in density than that of the existing and suggested development areas, in an effort to partially conserve the rural charm of the area and provide a buffer between dense development and conservation areas.
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Conclusion Through the Live, Play, Grow, Kenton County plan we believe that the residents will see their views reflected and enhanced to make for an improved Kenton County for everyone. Our plan for Kenton County encompasses the key aspects of what not only we but also the citizens of the community found important. We recognize that the area is going to grow and change and we want to try our hardest to ensure that all of those changes will reflect the rural characteristics of the community while helping the lives of the residents who have been there for years and those who will move in with the changes. Our Live, Play, Grow plan works as a system to better connect the community to each other and the centrally focused development. We have worked to ensure that the residents can preserve the rural lifestyle while promoting a healthy and active way of life.
Through hard work and dedication this plan will benefit the residents, the business owners and future residents through improved roadways for safety, economic growth through infill and healthier lifestyles through park and trail systems. There is something for everyone; new stores and businesses for those that live in Downtown Independence, a system of parks for the children, and a keeping with the rural characteristics through the horse trials.
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