Boone County Planning Commission recommended approval for a proposed 33,000-square-foot Planet Fitness in Florence.
The gym would be built near Cavalry Drive and Richmond Road, about two miles from Florence’s existing Planet Fitness.
The proposal now heads to Florence City Council, which has final approval authority.
Florence is one step closer to getting its second Planet Fitness after the Boone County Planning Commission recommended approval of a proposed gym development on Wednesday, May 6.
Midwest Fitness Partners, a holding company that operates around 60 Planet Fitness gyms, seeks to develop a two-story, approximately 33,000-square-foot Planet Fitness Health Club located on a 3.9-acre parcel between Richmond Road and Wetherington Boulevard, just south of the Express Street intersection.
Just two miles up the road sits Boone County’s lone Planet Fitness at 8000 Mall Rd. in Florence. The property, currently a grassy field, is owned by Plantation Luxury Flats LLC and is zoned Commercial Two with a Planned Development overlay. Erpenbeck Elementary School borders the plot to the east, with a Starbucks to the north, a childcare center to the west and suburban homes to the south.
Planet Fitness is one of the largest gym franchises in the country, with more than 2,700 locations. The gym’s brand is widely known for inclusiveness, exemplified by its “Lunk Alarm” siren that sounds when members engage in prohibited behaviors, such as loudly dropping weights.
Prior to voting, Boone County Zoning Administrator Michael Schwartz said the parcel originally allowed for an approximately 75,000-square-foot, four-story commercial-residential building.
Moreover, since Midwest Fitness Partners’ proposal is smaller in scope, the planning commission staff found that the gym would have a minor impact on the neighboring properties. During the proposal’s public hearing on April 1, a resident shared concerns about the gym’s potentially negative impact on local traffic.
“This alternative plan, or revised plan, identifies a two-story, approximately 33,000 square foot commercial building,” Schwartz said. “The proposed change of concept plan is appropriate and reasonable, and the proposed health club, as shown on the submitted concept plan, represents a minor impact on the adjacent residential area, school and commercial establishments.”
In addition, the proposal includes several attached conditions, such as compliance with zoning regulations and the Plantation Pointe North development standards; limiting signage on the south side of the building; matching the approved architectural renderings and materials; providing a sidewalk connection to Cavalry Drive; allowing up to 223 parking spaces; installing required landscaping; fencing the detention facility; constructing the dumpster enclosure with materials matching the main building; and limiting light poles to a maximum height of 20 feet to reduce impacts on surrounding properties.
Civil engineer Todd Reyling, who works on behalf of the developers, expressed concern over the roof design requirements, but indicated they would continue those discussions with the City of Florence.
“Just to let the board know, we did discuss this with planning staff at the City of Florence – this is regarding the roof style and the building materials,” Reyling said. “We voiced our concerns. We would still like to have the Mall Road look with a flat roof, and again, we were going to work with the brick stucco, all that good stuff.”
Following the planning commission’s recommendation for approval, the proposal will be heard by the Florence City Council, which has final authority over the project because the parcel is within its jurisdiction.
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