Boone County's Fiscal Court is scheduled to consider Tuesday, Oct. 20, on a resolution to deny Kroger's bid to rezone about 20 acres near Richwood for a $40 million grocery complex.

The land sits near Richwood Road and Paddock Drive. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at 2950 Washington St. in Burlington, with Judge/Executive Gary W. Moore presiding, according to the Fiscal Court agenda. Zoning Planner Steve Lilly is listed to present the item.

Kroger asked the Boone County Planning Commission to change the property's zoning from Employment Planned Development (EPD) to Commercial Services (C-3). The land, owned by Richwood Pointe LLC, sits at the northeast corner of Frogtown Connector Road and Paddock Drive.

The resolution before the Fiscal Court would deny that request. If the court votes yes, the rezoning dies. Approval would deny the rezoning request at the county level. Rejecting the resolution would not itself approve the project; the Fiscal Court would need to take action overriding the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

What Kroger proposed

Kroger's plans call for a 99,000-square-foot Marketplace store, a 7,565-square-foot wine and spirits store, a fuel center with seven double-sided gas pumps and a 51,840-square-foot multi-tenant retail and restaurant building with about 231 parking spaces, Link NKY reported in July. Anne McBride, a principal at consulting firm McBride Dale Clairon who represented Kroger, estimated the construction and site work at $40 million and projected about 250 jobs.

The proposed store would sit less than a mile from the Richwood Publix, which opened in 2025.

The proposal has already been rejected at two levels of the planning process. The Planning Commission's Zone Change subcommittee unanimously recommended denial on Aug. 19, and the full Boone County Planning Commission followed suit at its Sept. 2 meeting, as Link NKY reported.

Traffic topped the list.

Planning Commissioner Corrin Gulick, who chaired the subcommittee, raised concerns about the site layout at the Sept. 2 meeting.

"Another concern that I had that's not traffic related was the orientation of the site and how the loading docks are right next to the residential," Gulick said. "It's right there, and I was concerned about the noise impacts from that."

Planning Commission Chairman Charlie Rolfsen said the panel's job was to evaluate whether the zoning change itself was appropriate, not to rule on public support for a specific business.

Resident Weston Sanford told the commission in July that 11 grocery stores already operate within six miles of Paddock Drive, with a Union Publix set to raise that count to 12.

Other agenda items

The Fiscal Court will also consider several other resolutions Tuesday:

  • An agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Ryle Road Stabilization Project using rural grant pool funding
  • A roadway stabilization bid award to Geostabilization International
  • A proposed concrete replacement contract award for the Parlor Grove and Treetops subdivisions, awarded to Cincinnati Landworks
  • A snow and ice removal contract renewal with Ryan Landcare through April 30, 2027
  • A purchase agreement with Dinsmore Homestead Foundation for property at 5656 Burlington Pike

The next Fiscal Court meeting is scheduled for Nov. 3 at 8:30 a.m.