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Goals & Objectives

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Research & Public Engagement

Goals & Objectives

The goals and objectives were created as a result of a robust public engagement process and covered fundamental issues pertaining to the physical development and the economic well-being of Kenton County.  There are four guiding principles for this critical piece of the plan including private property, public engagement, economic considerations and goal relationships.  Topics like housing, community character, job creation, and mobility can be found in the plan’s nine goals and associated objectives.  Read on to explore the adopted goals and objectives for the Kenton County Comprehensive plan.

Introduction

Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS 100) specify that the planning commission of each unit shall prepare a comprehensive plan, which shall serve as a guide for public and private actions and decisions to assure the development of public and private property in the most appropriate relationships. A required element of the comprehensive plan per KRS 100 is a statement of goals and objectives. The statement of goals and objectives serve as the foundation for the Comprehensive Plan and provide policy guidance in the preparation of other elements of the plan including potential strategies for implementation.

The goals and objectives are a guide to assist decision makers as specified by KRS and should not be viewed as a regulatory document. These reflect the overall desire of the community; each particular goal and objective may or may not be applicable or appropriate in every instance; and decision makers should consider them as appropriate.

The following four guiding principles are provided to assist decision makers in using the statement of goals and objectives effectively:

  1. Owner’s private property: The legal property rights of property owners are to be protected in accordance with local, state and federal law. Private property interests are to be balanced with the health, safety and welfare of the community.
  2. Public engagement: The goals and objectives were primarily derived based on public input from a varied cross section of residents, community, and economic leaders and should be considered in that capacity.
  3. Economic considerations: Regardless of economic conditions, these goals and objectives should be used only as a guide with ultimate decisions to be based on economic sustainability. Strong public-private cooperation is highly encouraged throughout the planning period.
  4. Goal relationships: The seven goal categories identified are intricately connected and significantly impact one another. The Goal Matrix identifies a primary goal category while the secondary goal category is listed to identify the relationship with other goal categories.

  • Mobility
  • Health
  • Governance
  • Healthy Communities
  • Economy
  • Governance
  • Natural Systems
  • Community Identity

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
1. Encourage a variety of housing types throughout the County to meet the needs of all generations and income levels.Healthy Communities
A. Promote all aspects of housing including infill, redevelopment and new development where appropriate.
B. Encourage housing in closer proximity to employment centers.
C. Evaluate tools to provide incentives to address housing for all generations
D. Identify opportunities with measured outcomes and implement innovative development practices while ensuring widest market appeal.
E. Encourage housing that establish strong connectivity within a community, to surrounding communities, and natural systems.
F. Balance the need to maintain existing infrastructure and build new infrastructure while being mindful of cost, economic conditions and return on investment.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
2. Strive to create and maintain places with a diverse character to draw talent and enhance livability.Healthy Communities
A. Encourage opportunities for stakeholders to create unique environments to foster a sense of ownership.
B. Foster a sense of place by including elements that contribute to community pride.
C. Promote mixed use neighborhoods to create a vibrant built environment.
D. Identify opportunities to create unique places that develop, draw and retain talent.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
3. Strive to attract and create new jobs and retain existing jobs.Economy
A. Streamline the regulatory process to promote, encourage and enhance desirable job creation, attraction and retention by identifying and then removing unnecessary regulations, if any.
B. Identify current and future employment needs and provide diverse educational opportunities to strengthen skill sets desired by employers.
C. Promote a business friendly environment that is essential to be competitive in the national and global market.
D. Seek collaborative approaches to create a broad range of incentives which promote the region and draw talent and employers from outside the region.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
4. Celebrate the unique identity of communities within Kenton County. Community Identity and Economy 
 A. Strengthen the vitality of the urban core through historic preservation, infill development on vacant and underutilized properties and building upon the strong sense of neighborhood and community. 
B. Strengthen the first ring suburbs by preserving or improving the existing community fabric and maintaining or improving infrastructure. 
C. Enhance suburban living by offering new attractive and unique amenities that are in closer proximity to established and new residential areas. 
D. Preserve and enhance the viability of the rural heritage of southern Kenton County by encouraging the preservation of elements of the landscape which contribute to the rural character and removing barriers to support local agricultural operations.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
5. Improve the ability of residents to live a healthy lifestyle.Healthy Communities
A. Promote safe and convenient non-automobile access to health care, healthy foods and key destinations in strategic locations to encourage physical activity to decrease chronic disease and improve air and water quality.
B. Encourage the provision of both active and passive recreational opportunities to address the needs of different age groups and interests.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
6. Enhance and expand the effectiveness of the transportation system by promoting multimodal approaches that address the needs of all users.Mobility
A. Promote increased roadway connectivity between activity nodes to reduce congestion on major thoroughfares.
B. Recognize the impact of freight on the transportation network and work towards more efficient movement of freight out of, into, and through the region.
C. Encourage strategic locations that support transit to enhance efficiency.
D. Increase the convenience and efficiency of using multiple modes of transportation including driving, transit, walking or biking.
E. Promote viable transportation options for all demographics.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
7. Promote adequate access to natural systems to encourage outdoor activities for all generations on public property.Natural Systems
A. Improve access to regional and secondary waterways to promote outdoor physical activities.
B. Promote connectivity within and from surrounding neighborhoods to public parks or natural areas to encourage walking and biking.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
8. Strive to achieve a balance between development and preservation.Natural Systems and Economy
A. Encourage innovative design on sites with constraints based on the presence of natural systems and incentivize the protection of quality open space.
B. Explore the viability of a regional park system as a tool to attract talent and jobs into the community.

GoalObjectiveGoal categories
9. Encourage cooperative governance.Governance
A. Research the economic and fiscal steps necessary to enhance the long-term viability of the community.
B. Work towards removing regulatory barriers that hinder the establishment of cooperative agreements between governmental entities.
C. Continue to encourage the sharing of technical tools and resources effectively reducing the cost of the system.
D. Promote the establishment of county-wide tools to create a business/development friendly environment.
E. Identify opportunities for effective sharing of services