INDEPENDENCE, Ky. — Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman met with over a dozen worried residents in the Hartland neighborhood about a condo complex possibly being developed in their backyard.
“I would rather see individual homes, much rather. I think the condos are just I think they’re trying to squeeze way too many in a small space,” said Melissa Boyers.
For the complex to be built the way developers want, the land needs a zone change. If approved, the complex would be built by Fischer Homes.
“We started talking about the concerns and what we could to mitigate, and I said bring the density down, which they’ve agreed to do. It’s still pretty dense,” Reinersman said. “The other thing that I like is that they can actually put in the homeowners association significant restrictions on rentals.”
They agreed to lower the number of condos to 110.
“They’re building a 12-foot retaining wall behind all of these houses here and that 12-foot retaining wall will knock out a view of the first and portion of the second floor, and then they’re willing to, if they get permission from the neighbors to mound it up a bit and plant trees along the screen,” he said.
Several neighbors have signs in their yard that say, “No to 120 condos.”
They say they are worried about the possible increase in traffic.
“My fear is one of them kids getting hit,” Boyers said. “It’s dangerous. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Several people voiced concern over the number of people speeding in the area too and believe more cars could lead to more crashes.
Reinersman said experts tell him there won’t be a big impact. He said a traffic study had been completed and is waiting on approval from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. He said the study projected an extra 60 cars during peak traffic hours.
“I brought it up to them and told me that 124 units isn’t going to move the needle. It’s not going to bring enough cars to make a difference on that traffic. It’s a 25-mile area. It’s heavy traffic but it’s slow. I’m still a little skeptical,” he said.
Reinersman said the influx of people living in the area could help revitalize downtown. He said the condos could attract empty nesters and newlyweds, a demographic that doesn’t frequent Independence.
Talk of a condominium complex is especially hard for Boyers because her family has owned that land for generations.
“My great-grandparents bought it back in 1921,” she said.
It was passed down to Boyer’s mother who died in 2016. She left it to Boyer’s in her will.
“For whatever reason, when my mom took it to probate court and paid the estate taxes, and all the inheritance tax, for whatever reason it was never put in her name. It was never recorded at the courthouse. So, it was still my grandparents' name on that deed; even though the taxes were in my mom’s name,” Boyers said.
Her mother’s nieces and nephew took it to court, but Boyers said she never knew about the court date.
“I didn’t get anything in the mail, so how could I have been somewhere I didn’t even know was happening, so I lost the whole place by default,” she said.
Boyers struck a deal with the people who eventually bought the land but that deal fell through.
“There’s already been bulldozers back there, tearing trees down. I just can’t even stand to listen to it. I just have to get in my car and leave,” Boyers said.
She said it’s hard for her to look at the land that used to be hers. It’s almost impossible since she lives across the street.
“I wish people could understand what I feel,” she said. “It hurts, it hurts so bad, when I drive by I try not to look.”
Boyers dreamed of building a house with a garden on that land. She’s doing what she can to call the land hers again.
“I would love… somehow, someway I would like to get it back,” she said.
She said as long as the for sale sign is up, she still has hope.
Watch Live:
