A proposed Town Plan Update that would replace Union's 26-year-old development blueprint and guide growth through at least 2031 moved closer to adoption July 27, when the city held a public open house, the last scheduled feedback opportunity before formal votes.

The plan replaces the original 2000 Union Town Plan. In that time, Union's population has nearly tripled, from roughly 2,893 to an estimated 8,085. The updated plan projects the city will exceed 10,000 residents. Those figures come from Boone County Planning Commission Executive Director Kevin Costello's May 4 presentation to the Union City Commission.

Mayor Larry Solomon and all four commissioners were present at the open house at the city building on Bristow Drive.

What the plan changes

Costello outlined 13 proposed changes at the May 4 meeting. Among the most significant:

• Mandatory developer pre-meetings. The 2000 plan recommended that developers meet with city and county officials before submitting proposals. The new plan makes that meeting mandatory.
• Density enforcement. The update matches existing residential densities, including senior housing, condominiums, and patio homes, while continuing to promote single-family detached housing as the predominant form. "One of the things that we talked about specifically was making sure that we strongly enforce those density requirements, because that better manages growth," Mayor Solomon said at the May 4 meeting.
• Union Town Square recognition. The 22-acre project between U.S. 42 and Old Union Road, currently under construction, is formally designated as the community's centerpiece.
• Six undeveloped parcels identified. The plan flags six key undeveloped properties and encourages the city and county to work with landowners on development that benefits residents.
• Sign height increase. Building-mounted sign height rises from 24 to 36 inches.
• Sidewalks and safety. The plan recommends street safety improvements and expanded sidewalks and multi-use paths.
• Five-year review. A mandatory review is scheduled for 2031.

Of the plan's jurisdictional area, 73.5% has already been developed, 16.3% remains undeveloped, and 10.2% is designated as streets, according to Costello's presentation.

How the plan gets adopted

Commissioner Kim Tuyn, who has served as the commission's primary liaison on the update since at least October 2025, described the July 27 open house at the June 15, caucus meeting as "the final round of feedback" before formal adoption.

The next steps, according to the May 4 meeting minutes: the Boone County Planning Commission will finalize the updated plan, hold a public hearing, and issue a recommendation to the Boone County Fiscal Court. The Union City Commission will vote separately. No dates for those steps have been announced.

A 30-day public comment survey ran on the City of Union and Boone County Planning Commission websites through June 30. The open house gave residents who missed that window one more chance to weigh in face-to-face.

Resident Joni Persinger asked at the May 4 commission meeting that the city hold a workshop so residents could see the proposed changes and interact in person. Monday's open house was the direct answer to that request.