City of Erlanger planning staff on June 3 presented a map amendment to rezone roughly two acres off Cave Run Drive from Residential Mixed to Neighborhood Commercial, and the council recorded a first reading of the ordinance.

Andy Vredekovich of Planning and Development Services told council “the request was to change the property from a residential mixed zone to a neighborhood commercial zone.” The applicant proposes a roughly 10,000‑square‑foot office building intended for a local McDonald’s franchise that will also host training sessions.

The Kenton County Planning Commission held a public hearing May 1 and issued a favorable recommendation with two conditions: sidewalks must be installed along Cave Run Drive and the drive aisle that connects to adjacent properties must be widened to 22 feet to meet the zoning/subdivision requirements. Vredekovich said the applicant is aware of those conditions and that the site plan will need to address them.

Council members pressed staff on pedestrian and traffic impacts. One council member said, “I listened to the hearing. I didn't attend it. But I did talk to some folks that lived in Erlanger Lakes,” and cited resident concerns about traffic and the fact that the development currently has a single primary access. Vredekovich responded that the proposal includes about 61 off‑street parking spaces (the ordinance requires roughly 40), and that training sessions are expected to have between about 20 and 40 participants while routine occupancy would be low — “maybe … 5 employees” at full time, he said. He also noted there is a secondary private access that connects to nearby properties and that the State may impose additional access requirements because the site fronts Dixie Highway.

Staff told council that the project is shown as commercial in the city’s comprehensive plan and that the formal zoning/subdivision thresholds did not require a traffic‑impact study, although state access rules could require further approvals.

No final rezoning vote was taken at the June 3 meeting; the ordinance was presented as a first reading. If council advances the item, the applicant must supply a site plan that addresses the sidewalks and the 22‑foot drive‑aisle requirement before a final action can be taken.