Development News for Florence, Kentucky

Boone County Planning Commission Presents Budget Request Amid Shifting Housing Market Trends; Director Honored

Kevin Costello of the Boone County Planning Commission presented the commission's budget request. He noted a decrease in new single-family home construction, averaging about 400 per month compared to a heyday of 1,500. This has led to an increase in other housing products like apartments and condominiums, and a significant rise in senior housing. The commission's budget is up by $86,000 (3.5%), with government funding up by nearly $95,000. The increase is partly due to social media efforts for the zoning update. The commission requests $452,587 from the city of Florence, an increase of $22,316. They do not anticipate an increase in staff and will contract out legal and engineering services, and potentially social media work. Costello also reflected on his over 30 years of service, highlighting significant developments like the Parkway Corridor study and the building of Ewing Boulevard. He was honored with a proclamation declaring June 2nd, 2026 as Kevin Costello Day.

Drury Florence LLC's Request for Increased Building Intensity Bonus Presented for Council Approval

The council considered a resolution recommending approval with conditions for a change of concept development plan for Drury Florence LLC. The applicant seeks to modify the building intensity bonus for an approximately 7.5-acre area at 7911 and 7915 US 42. This change involves reallocating acreage from the existing Drury lot to Outlot 1, increasing the building intensity bonus from 27.2% to 42.3%. This requires approval via the concept plan process. The property is zoned Commercial Services Planned Development (C3 PDPO) and is designated for commercial use in the comprehensive plan. The planning commission approved the request with one condition regarding a future connection to Outlot 3, which the planning and zoning committee recommended with no changes.

Florence City Council Reviews Comprehensive FY26-27 Budget, Addressing Revenue Diversion and Operational Investments

The city council reviewed the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, highlighting increases in operating costs due to staffing, service calls, material prices, community engagement, and technology upgrades. The budget also addresses a revenue diversion discovered from previous years, with the city committing to recover losses through legal and insurance claims. Investments in financial controls, IT infrastructure, and a new opioid abatement fund are included. The budget plans for a 2.4% revenue growth, a 1% payroll tax growth, and includes salary adjustments for city employees, a new pay plan, and recognition of Veterans Day as a paid holiday. Specific departmental budgets were detailed, including increases for police officers, new tasers, fire department EMS, public services projects, and significant infrastructure investments in roads, water, and sewer systems. Capital requests are down overall, with a focus on project completion. The city also announced its recognition as a Top Workplace in 2026 by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Florence City Council Reviews Budget Amendments for FY25-26, Including Tax Repayments and Insurance Costs

The city council discussed budget amendment number two for fiscal year 2025-26, covering five items. These include increasing the temporary employee budget in the admin department to cover a resignation, offsetting costs through the water and sewer admin budget. A significant increase to the miscellaneous budget in administration is needed to repay state sales and use taxes owed from January 2023. For the health and dental insurance fund, a stop-loss reimbursement of around $800,000 received in July is being accounted for, alongside increased expenditures due to rising pharmacy costs and high claimaints. Finally, an increase in the annual depreciation allocation is planned due to upcoming water and sewer projects.