City of Crestwood Preliminary Master Plan Meeting

Crestwood Planning Study Public Meeting – August 30, 2023

Thank you for taking an interest in the Crestwood Planning Study. Following you will see a description of the panels shared at the public meeting held on August 30, 2023. Comments and Q/A from this meeting have been posted below under the RED headings. Thank you for your participation.

Presentation Description

The objective of this study is to provide a document to outline the opportunities for improvements to vehicular circulation, pedestrian connectivity and beautification additions. These ideas are conceptual at this time and further detailed design would need to take place prior to becoming a reality. Improvements in this document will be prioritized (immediate need, future within 5 or so years, and future beyond 10 years) to guide the City with decisions for actual construction.

Submitted Questions / Comments regarding the study:

• What is the timeline of this master plan study?

→This planning study serves as a tool for the next 5-25 years as the City continues to grow.

• What is the main priority of this study? Is it traffic?

→This study is aimed at all facets of planning such as vehicular and pedestrian connectivity as well as beautification of the City. The study outlines opportunities for improvements as the City continues to grow. The goal is for the City to take initiatives for smaller tasks while planning for larger phases over time.

• Will the City annex more properties into their current City limits?

→It is not the intention of the City to annex properties. If a property owner wishes to be annexed, the City could consider.

• How can citizens help initiate larger improvements to the City such as road connections and railroad issues?

→Citizens can help by contacting their legislators to inquire about the status of project and state importance of improvements to the City of Crestwood.

• Please provide an explanation of the maps on the website.

→See explanations with each plan below.

Panel #1:      Connectivity Plan

This plan shows the general use zones throughout the Crestwood area in red (commercial), yellow (residential), and blue (institutional), and highlights the main connections to and from the City with a bright green color. The Design Team began to notice the lack of interlinking roads or connecting links from one “leg” to another in the web of connecting roads through Crestwood. Potential conceptual connection links are shown with a green dash.

Panel #2:     Land Use Plan

This is a reference plan to the Oldham County Land Use designations and uses the same red, yellow, and blue colors to denote the commercial, institutional, and residential land uses. Four more colors are added, green hatch, light blue, green, and tan. The green hatch is used for residential open space, or property owned by a neighborhood that has been set aside to remain open. Properties owned by the City of Crestwood are shown with a lighter blue color, green is for “recreation” (the Maples Park), and tan is for “farm land”.

Panel #3:     Road Improvements

This plan uses a bold red line on the roadways where the Oldham County Planning and Development office has projects currently in the early phases of planning. These projects are not thought to be “shovel ready” at this point and will take time to generate funding to move to design phase and then construction phase. Roadways that are not on the County list have a red dash line denoting areas where the Design Team thinks improvements can be made as well. The orange long dash is used to show where roads do not currently exist, but these added connecting roads are in the early phases of planning.

Multi-modal paths are included on the roadways plan and are shown with the long/short dash line. Multi-modal paths are pathways that are designed and constructed to meet the broadest range of users. This typically means that the pathway is wide enough so that bikers, hikers, runners, and walkers can all share the same pathway separate from vehicular traffic. The multi-modal path lines in green show those currently in the design phase (the phase right before the construction phase) and the yellow lines show those currently in the planning phase (the phase preceding the design phase).

The purple short dash lines are used to show where the Design Team sees a potential for a future vehicular connection. These purple dash lines are not on any list by the County or by any private investor that we know of, they are simply places where the Design Team noticed that a connection in the future could be beneficial for the city’s growth to further knit together the varied zones of development.

Lastly, the pink star shape is used to note the locations for a potential “Gateway Monument” welcoming people to Crestwood. This is not an element that has been designed, just a notation on the plan near entrances to the city where a welcoming gesture could be made.

Submitted Questions / Comments regarding Road Improvements:

• Can KY 22 road improvements include turn lanes instead of widening Clore Lane?

→KYTC District 5 is providing a study on HWY 22

• Will HWY 146 between 329 Bypass and HWY 22 intersections remain commercial?

→Yes, as part of zoning, they would remain commercial.

• There is no ‘Main Street’ in Crestwood. Some view the intersection of HWY 146 and 329 Bypass as the center of Crestwood. Will that change?

→The City of Crestwood intends to develop the City owned area adjacent to the park as a commercial / retail zone. This would draw the ‘center of town’ focus to this area.

• A suggestion was made for a roundabout at HWY 22 and 146 intersection by the gas station.
• KYTC District 5, CSX and the City have had multiple meetings with regard to the railroad crossing and road alignments. Their studies are on-going.
• Rail crossing at Railroad Avenue and HWY 146 should be closed or the alignment should connect directly with Floydsburg Road.
• KYTC District 5, CSX and the City have had multiple meetings with regard to the railroad crossing and road alignments. Their studies are on-going.
• The road at Kenwood Station is proposed to extend to HWY 146. This connection should be first priority to alleviate traffic issues on 329 Bypass including when I-71 is compromised.
• The connection of Madison Park Road from Walmart to HWY 146 would help alleviate traffic during peak school hours.
• Old 329 has people currently walking or running along the road. Provide opportunities for safety.

Panel #4:     Pedestrian Improvements

The Pedestrian Improvements plan follows the Road Improvements plan because many pedestrian walkways parallel the roads. Crestwood has sidewalks in some of the city as well as in some of the newer developed neighborhoods, but those walkways are not connected, and many are in disrepair. This plan shows the existing sidewalks with a pink dash line, and shows potential added walkways as “future pedestrian connections” with an orange solid line. These are locations where the Design Team sees a potential for a future pedestrian connection. When property is developed or re-developed, pedestrian or multi-modal connections shall be included per this master plan.

The multi-modal pathways shown on the Road Improvement plan are also shown here since multi-modal does include pedestrians.

The purple dash lines both follow where the Design Team noted a potential for a future road connection, and expand future potential natural area walkways through some of the residential open spaces which could further enhance the livability of the Crestwood area.

The pink star shape is again shown to note the locations for a potential “Gateway Monument” welcoming people to Crestwood.

Submitted Questions / Comments regarding Pedestrian Improvements:

• Existing sidewalks are inaccessible. An example was given on HWY 22 (addresses 6449 and 6451) where landscaping has covered much of the sidewalks. Can this be cleared?

→The City will work with KYTC to determine HWY 146 Right of Way. Property owners will be contacted.

Panel #5:     Corridor Improvements – Highways 22 and 146

This panel takes a closer look at the corridor between the intersection of KY 22, KY 329, and Railroad Avenue on the lower left side of the plan and the intersection of KY 329 Bypass and KY 146 on the upper right hand side of the plan. This corridor, which includes both KY 22 and KY 146 as they each cross over the railroad, is on the Oldham County Planning and Development office project list to include a continuous center turn lane to help alleviate congestion through the central city area. As mentioned in the description for the Road Improvements panel, this project is not thought to be “shovel ready” at this point and will take time to generate funding to move to design phase and then construction phase.

Aside from road improvements, this plan examines opportunities for beautification through this central Crestwood corridor in the way of improved street lighting, canopy tree placement, improved street signage, and establishing a standard for street furnishings.

Panels #6 and #7:  Commercial Development Concepts 1 and 2

Panels #6 and #7 show the Design Team concepts for developing the commercial property owned by the City between KY 22 and KY 146 from Railroad Avenue to the Maples Park. Both concepts would extend the 22-146 corridor visually, providing a wide central pedestrian promenade that could be used as an outdoor area for seasonal activities such as a farmer’s market or other events with proposed commercial storefront space on both sides. Both concepts also show parking for these commercial spaces on the railroad track side as well as wrapping around the existing AT&T building which can double as additional parking for the park. In addition, both concepts use dark gray block shapes to depict the commercial building areas and show the desire to keep the outer front walls of the old stone building just south of the alley as a partially enclosed space for use by the commercial spaces. If this is not possible, the stone from that building will be used on the site to preserve the historic connection to what was once the center of the community.

Concept 1 shown on panel #6 keeps Railroad Avenue in its present alignment and offers the opportunity to place a welcoming gesture at the intersection, relating back to the other welcome “gateway monument” locations on the outskirts of the city. This concept also shows the opportunity to place a new small structure on the old gas station lot as a potential city building or additional commercial space.

Concept 2 shown on panel #7 re-routes Railroad Avenue through the gas station lot, creating the opportunity to place a welcoming gesture on the east side of the new intersection in a location more easily seen by travelers approaching from 22 or 329, and more easily accessed by travelers approaching from the 22-146 corridor. This concept also shows the opportunity to place a small structure near this welcoming gesture, again as a potential city building or additional commercial rental space.

Panel #8:     Beautification Images

The last panel shows images of suggested improvements which the Design Team envisions would begin in the central area along the 22-146 corridor, and over time be used throughout the city including within neighborhoods.

Submitted Questions / Comments regarding Beautification:

• Will the City preserve the Old Parrish Implements building on the commercial area next to the City?

→The building will be evaluated for preservation. If it is not possible to preserve, the stone from the building would be re-used on the property in another way.

• Beautification improvements to the City (lighting, signage, etc.) is necessary and should start as soon as possible. Improved and cohesive signage should start from the City core and broaden. LED lights should replace existing lights throughout the City.
• Rejuvenation of the City would improve commercial prospects. Commercial area next to the park should be a priority.
• A quiet zone for trains should be implemented similar to Pewee Valley.
• Emergency siren locations should be evaluated.