This month we highlight a recently-released report by the American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) and the National Association of Realtors. According to its findings,
homes near public transit retained their value better during the Great Recession than their
counterparts in auto-dependent areas.

What’s impressive is the extent of it: In five metropolitan areas—Boston, Chicago,
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, and San Francisco—residential property values performed 42
percent better on average if they were located near public transportation with frequent
service.

The study, The New Real-Estate Mantra: Location Near Pubic Transportation, measured home values between 2006 and 2011, a period when they declined substantially overall.

“When homes are located near public transportation, it is the equivalent of creating housing as desirable as beachfront property,” says Michael Melaniphy, APTA’s president and CEO. Neighborhoods with high-frequency public transportation, Melaniphy says, provide access to three to five times as many jobs per square mile as other areas in a region. Other benefits of living near good public transit: lower transportation costs, walkable neighborhoods, and a variety of transportation choices.

Views expressed in this article do not reflect an official position or policy of the NKAPC. The article is presented here to provide input for those interested in land use planning issues.

The City of Independence and NKAPC won the American Planning Association Kentucky Chapter’s (APA-KY) award for Outstanding Project for the Independence Zoning Update. The Independence Zoning Update was chosen from four nominated projects from across the Commonwealth by a panel of judges. The judging was based on three criteria: 1) practical use by others; 2) transferability to other communities; and 3) the quality of the project. The award was presented to the city and NKAPC recently at the 2013 APA-KY Planning Conference in Lake Cumberland State Resort Park.

“We’re quite pleased that this project was chosen, since the competition is always pretty tough,” said Martin Scribner, AICP, Director of Planning and Zoning Administration with NKAPC.

This project was the result of the city’s initiative to create a community-based vision and land use plan. From 2010 to 2012, a steering committee appointed by the city met monthly to develop regulations to implement the Independence Community Small Area Study. Public input also played a critical role in the formation of these regulations. Public meetings were held during the process and combined had over 100 different citizens in attendance. The result includes three new zoning districts that were adopted by the city in 2012.

• The DI (Downtown Independence) Zone: This zone assists in the redevelopment of the Downtown Independence area so that it may serve as a destination for residents and those who work in this area to live, work, and access retail, office, and service uses.
• The CD-SF (Conservation Development – Single-Family) Overlay Zone: The zone provides an alternative option for subdividing property that includes promoting the environmental, economic, social, and recreational benefits of conservation design.
• The GMU (Gateway Mixed Use) Zone: Developments within the GMU Zone are intended to be the antithesis of traditional site-by-site strip development. Sites should be well planned with public amenities, vehicular and pedestrian transportation networks, and mixed uses. The GMU Zone has basic architectural standards that will prohibit modern strip-type buildings.

Independence Councilman Chris Reinersman states, “It has been my privilege to be a part of the Independence zoning update and I am very grateful to all involved. I believe this was an excellent example of what a major zoning initiative should be. It relied on the substantial efforts of a committee of local stakeholders under the judicious guidance of the experts at NKAPC. The end product was the result of many hours of well-researched and very thoughtful collaboration by the committee.”

Reinersman concludes, “The final recommendations sought, and were tempered by, significant public input throughout the process and resulted in a final product which represented the initial goals, gave appropriate consideration to all affected parties and, I believe, will ultimately benefit our community for years to come.”

Following a public input process that began in March 2012, the Kenton County Planning Commission (KCPC) is ready to move forward on a proposed statement of goals and objectives. That proposed statement will be heard during a scheduled public hearing to be held on June 6 at 6:15 PM. As required by state law, this statement will anchor Direction 2030, Kenton County’s new comprehensive plan.

After review and recommendation by the KCPC, the statement of goals and objectives will be forwarded to each of Kenton County’s 20 legislative bodies for their consideration and action. The legislative bodies will have 90 days to take action on the KCPC proposal. This phase is anticipated to be completed in September 2013.

A preliminary draft of the statement of goals and objectives was presented at two public meetings held last October. Staff received over 180 comments on the draft which was then reviewed by the Direction 2030 task force. The task force’s responses to all of the comments as well as the final draft are posted on the project website.

This public input fostered creation of four guiding principles that will assist decision makers in using the goals and objectives effectively. Each covers a broad topic that was raised during the public engagement process.

One of these topics covers the protection of property rights. Research on other comprehensive plans locally, regionally, and nationally indicates that several communities have addressed private property rights in their comprehensive plans. The Direction 2030 task force discussed this topic and subsequently directed staff to work with concerned cities to draft language for their consideration. As a result, property rights have been added as a guiding principle.

The draft statement includes nine goals which will serve as the basis for completion of the required elements of the comprehensive plan:

• encouraging a variety of housing options for all generations and incomes;
• creating and maintaining places that draw talent;
• retaining, attracting, and creating jobs;
• celebrating the unique identity of our communities;
• promoting a healthy lifestyle;
• enhancing the transportation system;
• providing access to natural systems;
• balancing development and preservation; and
• encouraging cooperative governance.

“This has been an important step in the process and we are very pleased with the level of participation from our legislative bodies and the community,” said Paul Darpel, Chairman of the Kenton County Planning Commission. “The draft as it stands accomplishes the task of representing the community’s voice and hopefully our cities will see it that way as well.”

Members of the Kenton County Planning Commission’s subdivision regulations committee are nearing completion of a multi-year goal. Simply stated, it was to craft a completely new set of subdivision design and construction standards that will be efficient to use, provide design flexibility for developers, increase agency coordination, and protect the financial interests of local taxpayers.

The committee held a roundtable session to discuss the final draft proposal for new street design standards. Virtually all other issues before the group have been resolved to the satisfaction of stakeholders. Those interests scheduled to participate in the roundtable session are the Kenton County Mayors’ Group, the Northern Kentucky Homebuilders Association, the Northern Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, and Henry Fischer of Fischer Homes.

The major issue facing committee members is whether edge drains and drainage blankets should be required in all new residential developments. The committee’s draft proposal currently addresses those issues by requiring:

•  that edge drains be provided under the curb where 51% of the adjoining lot drains toward the street and also in sag locations; and
•  that a detailed pavement analysis be performed by a geotechnical engineer for each project to determine any other pavement and drainage enhancements that should be utilized.

The goal of the roundtable meeting will be to give the stakeholders a final opportunity to discuss the proposal and to provide the committee with feedback.

Committee members will consider this feedback now that the meeting is behind them. They will then give staff a final directive on what design standards should be included in the draft regulations that will be presented to the full Kenton County Planning Commission.

Current expectations are that the planning commission will schedule a public hearing on the final document sometime this summer. The draft document that will be the subject of that hearing will be posted on the NKAPC website to provide everyone an opportunity to review them and form their opinions. At the conclusion of that hearing, planning commission members will vote to approve the standards they feel meet the community’s needs best and to set an effective date for their enforcement.

Most areas of urbanized Kenton County are served by sidewalks on one or both sides of the street. While this is due largely to local requirements for construction of sidewalks on both sides of the street, no data are available currently on where sidewalks exist.

That’s about to change.

A comprehensive inventory of sidewalks in Kenton County is being pursued currently by NKAPC staff to create documentation which can assist legislative bodies with future planning efforts.

The project involves a desktop assessment using 2012 aerial imagery. This review determines the location of sidewalks, pathways, trails, and crosswalks. It also documents materials used such as concrete, pavers, and asphalt to the extent that it can be determined from the aerial imagery.

Minimal field checks will also be pursued as part of this initial effort but will not include information on the condition of sidewalks, ownership status, ADA compliance, and presence of pedestrian signals. This information will enable legislative bodies to assess their sidewalk system, identify key missing links, and pursue efforts to improve the system.

It will also make it easier for developers to gauge the availability of sidewalks in an area and to facilitate improved connectivity. The inventory will also assist in looking at the County comprehensively and assessing the impact of sidewalks or lack thereof on the community.

“One of the main capabilities of our GIS system is the ability to analyze and provide visual reports on physical elements of our built landscape. The analysis makes it easier for communities to make informed decisions about their futures,” stated Trisha Brush, GISP, NKAPC’s director of GIS administration.

Sidewalks provide opportunities for residents to walk to places such as bus stops, to travel to their places of employment, to visit friends and neighbors in adjacent developments, to access nearby shopping centers or parks, and to provide recreation that leads to a healthier lifestyle.

Additional uses for these data could include assessments of walkability, prioritization and allocation of funding for sidewalks based on needs, and assessment of sidewalk systems around schools and populated destinations.

The project is anticipated to be completed by sometime this summer.

Staff fanned out across Kenton County in January and February to present the final draft statement of goals and objectives to the community’s 20 local elected bodies. While most of those groups provided positive feedback, four cities asked staff to work with their economic development/zoning committees for a more in-depth review.

These responses indicated a strong desire for the statement of goals and objectives to address property rights. As a result, staff presented draft language on property rights to the Direction 2030 task force in February. That updated version of the statement now includes property rights language in the guiding principles which apply to all goals and objectives.

“We’re glad that cities and local organizations are providing feedback prior to submittal of the finished product to the county planning commission. This gives us a chance to address issues on the front end, before it becomes cumbersome to address them from a countywide perspective.  All 20 of our jurisdictions must adopt goals and objectives,” said Paul Darpel, Kenton County Planning Commission chairman.

In the meantime, the Direction 2030 task force has worked to address the 182 comments received to date on the draft. Several changes have been made based on those comments, and a response to each will be posted on the project website when the review is complete.  A research report is also being compiled, as required by state statute, which specifies that elements of the comprehensive plan be based on research, analysis, and projections. This report is being compiled by collaborating with multiple agencies across Northern Kentucky to access the best data available.

“After all concerns with the statement of goals and objectives are addressed, we’ll submit an application to the Kenton County Planning Commission.  We hope to do that in April for a public hearing and action in May,” said Sharmili Reddy, AICP, NKAPC planning manager.

Kenton County’s 20 legislative bodies will have 90 days to take action on the planning commission’s recommendation. Adoption of the statement of goals and objectives and completion of the research report will pave the way for preparation of the individual required comprehensive plan elements. This second phase will include recommendations for land use, transportation, community facilities, and natural resources. It will also provide further guidance on how to achieve the adopted goals and objectives.

The second phase is anticipated to be completed by December 2013.

A senior NKAPC staff member is part of the National Emergency Numbering Association’s (NENA) workgroup charged with recommending a protocol for placing address points used in Next Generation 9-1-1 systems (NG911). As the name suggests, these systems are involved with emergency calls and the local services that respond to them.

Senior GIS Specialist Tom East, GISP, learned about the opportunity to serve at an addressing conference last year in Memphis.  He recognized immediately the importance of contributing to the recommendations. According to East, “There are important changes coming to the world of emergency dispatching and NG911 is driving many of the improvements in how emergency calls will be handled and services dispatched in the future.”

NG911 will improve the way emergency calls are sent to dispatch centers by determining which center should receive the call even before it is answered. Accomplishing this requires the creation of accurate GIS data ahead of time.  Highly accurate address locations and dispatch service boundaries will facilitate use of a digital “push-pin” map on which the caller’s location is determined so the correct dispatch center is identified before a call reaches the dispatcher. This instantaneous determination improves response time potentially eliminating the need to transfer calls between dispatch centers as often happens now with cell phone calls.

Over the past few years, NKAPC staff has created and updated a digital map of address points used by its partners in the LINK-GIS system including dispatch centers in Kenton, Campbell, and Pendleton Counties. The many situations encountered in creating this address database are encountered in communities across the nation. Likewise, the problems encountered elsewhere are often found locally.

As East puts it, “Participating in this NENA workgroup allows us to contribute to, and learn from other communities in establishing a protocol for placing address points. It’s a valuable opportunity, especially in light of current developments with local dispatch services.”

Things beyond spring-flowering bulbs and trees may begin popping up this season in Kenton County if recent submissions to NKAPC’s infrastructure engineering department are any indication.  An increase in subdivision development activity may be eligible for inclusion to that list.

Staff has approved a plan for an addition to Battleridge, an existing subdivision, in Independence. Battleridge has multiple entrances and is interconnected with other existing subdivisions in the vicinity of Bristow and Cody Roads. The addition contains 41 acres, is approved for 75 new single-family lots.  This addition will also prompt construction of 3,000+ feet of new public streets in the city.

Another smaller subdivision approved, Stillbrooke, is a stand-alone development that will not interconnect with adjacent properties in the future. This is because there is no vacant property nearby and no opportunity to interconnect with existing subdivisions that are. This subdivision is on the east side of Collins Road in Villa Hills.  It contains nine acres and is approved for 26 single-family lots. The addition will prompt construction for a little over 1,000 feet of new public streets in the city.

Staff is also in discussions with developers who plan to move forward this year on new phases of other existing subdivisions. These are located primarily in Independence and Erlanger where new development activity was most prevalent before the 2008 crash and the Great Recession that followed.

 “Things are by no means close to where they were in the mid-2000s, and we don’t believe we’ll ever see them getting that busy any time soon,” said Scott Hiles, NKAPC’s director of infrastructure engineering. “But, it’s good to see activity moving in the right direction again.”

Hiles says the two approved developments are expected to begin this spring as soon as weather allows.

NKAPC staff coordinated and hosted a recent Surface Transportation Program for Northern Kentucky (SNK) workshop for Kenton County city and county officials.

SNK funds are federal funds made available to local jurisdictions through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI). These projects include highway, transit and non-highway freight projects that anticipate needing funds in fiscal years 2015, 2016, or 2017. Nearly $12 million have been allocated to the program for these fiscal years.

Mark Paine, OKI’s Transportation Improvement Program manager, presented information to nine officials representing seven jurisdictions. He described the basics of the program, what projects are eligible, how to apply, and answered questions from attendees. Paine also elaborated on the program saying “for highway projects, these funds may be used for the design, right of way, utility, and construction phases.”

He also pointed out that projects receiving SNK funds would be required to meet the standard 20 percent local funding match requirement.

James Fausz, AICP, an NKAPC principal planner noted, “Historically, few Kenton County jurisdictions have sought these funds. Through this workshop, we hoped to give our local officials critical information about SNK funds so they can use them to improve our transportation network.”

Edgewood and Covington have received approximately $2 million for fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

Local officials who were not able to attend the workshop and would like more information on SNK funds are encouraged to contact Mark Paine at OKI. Completed applications are due to OKI by noon on April 12, 2013.

This month we continue a new feature initiated last September... for whatever it's worth. As NKAPC staffers keep themselves up to date regarding what's happening in other communities of the tri-state, the commonwealth, and the US, they find reports periodically that deserve a local audience.

This month we provide a September 2012 article from The Economist magazine. It provides information from recent studies that show automobile usage is declining in the US… and not just due to impacts of the Great Recession. If true, this trend could have far-reaching impacts on communities across the nation.

You can access the article here … for whatever it’s worth.

Views expressed in this article do not reflect an official position or policy of the NKAPC. The article is presented here to provide input for those interested in land use planning issues.