Small Area Study Looks to Address Issues in Latonia Neighborhood

The Latonia Small Area Study intends to address the current and future needs of the northern Kentucky neighborhood in a comprehensive manner.  Annexed by Covington in 1909, Latonia was named after the nearby Latonia Springs resort. The study is in the early phases now and could potentially include topics like land use, transportation, community facilities, and implementation strategies and recommendations.

Much like a city comprehensive plan, the Latonia Small Area Study will look to engage the community and use that input to guide the comprehensive planning process that will hopefully make the neighborhood a better place for future generations.

At this point field work is currently being done to compile data on existing building conditions and land uses, and should be completed by the end of September.  This data will lay the ground work to discuss a variety of issues in the comprehensive planning process, and will provide needed information for the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC).

Following the initial data collection, a market study will also have to be completed that looks at all aspects of the Latonia area.  Demographic, real estate, business, housing, land use, and other information will all need to be collected during this step of Phase 1 of the Small Area Study.

Community input is going to be extremely important, but plan organizers note that residents and business owners will be engaged soon.  A project website is currently under development and public meetings are being organized so that those interested can stay involved in the study and comprehensive planning process.

The first public meeting has not yet been scheduled, but will happen in late fall 2009.  The comprehensive planning process will continue on over the next year with final public involvement wrapping up at the beginning of fall 2010.

Those looking to get involved and stay up-to-date are encouraged to contact Angela Cook at the City of Covington at (859) 292-2160, James Fausz at the NKAPC at (859) 331-8987, or Rachel Hastings at (859) 547-5546.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
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