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Residents urge stronger public input and preservation of Tower Park during Fort Thomas plan review
Summary
Public commenters told the Planning Commission to prioritize robust resident engagement and to preserve Tower Park as green space; one commenter called the previous comp-plan survey inadequate and urged a professionally designed survey before major park-direction decisions.
During the public comment portion of a Fort Thomas Planning Commission meeting, multiple residents urged commissioners to narrow the comp plan raft's language and to solicit meaningful public input before any decisions that could reshape public parks.
Tiffany Huber of 26 Hawthorne Avenue, speaking during public comment, suggested word changes she said would better reflect community priorities: "I really think it should say 'harmonious' because we need business districts that actually foster social indicators and a sense of community," Huber said, and recommended replacing the word "accommodate" with "evaluate" where the draft implies the city must implement every proposed change.
Public engagement and survey quality: Another commenter (Speaker 10) criticized the quality of the prior comp-plan survey used in 2018, calling it insufficiently rigorous and urging a professionally designed survey this round. "That was not an adequate survey to really get the tenor of what the public wanted," Speaker 10 said, and asked the commission to ensure broader, methodologically sound outreach to reach a representative cross-section of residents.
Tower Park and park-purpose debate: Multiple commenters opposed language in the draft that describes investing in Tower Park "as a regional destination." One resident said they "vehemently disagree[d]" with the idea and wanted Tower Park preserved as green space and to emphasize its history and military heritage rather than commercialized recreational uses.
Property and maintenance concerns: A speaker raised concerns about the Carlisle property and alleged ongoing dumping; Speaker 2 (staff) replied that contractors performing sewer and water-main work were temporarily staging materials at that site and that the materials would be removed when projects end.
Next steps: Commissioners heard the comments but did not vote on these items in the session. Several residents requested the commission and city council ensure the next round of public engagement uses robust survey methodology and broad outreach before the council adopts any change to park direction or major capital projects.
