Florence City Council unanimously approved a 33,000-square-foot, two-story Planet Fitness proposed by Midwest Fitness Partners on a 3.9-acre site near Express Street and Cavalry Drive.
The new gym will be less than two miles from the existing Mall Road location and is expected to better serve residents near Union while easing demand at one of Northern Kentucky’s busiest Planet Fitness facilities.
The development includes 223 parking spaces, enhanced architectural screening, pedestrian sidewalk connections, and design requirements intended to minimize impacts on nearby residential areas.
The City of Florence will be getting a second Planet Fitness after the city council voted to approve a proposal from Midwest Fitness Partners, a company that operates dozens of gyms across the country.
The city council approved an ordinance on Tuesday, authorizing the development of a two-story, approximately 33,000-square-foot Planet Fitness Health Club on a 3.9-acre parcel between Richmond Road and Wetherington Boulevard, just south of the Express Street intersection. The council unanimously voted in favor of the project.
The location is less than two miles from Florence’s original Planet Fitness off Mall Road, which is one of the busiest in Northern Kentucky. The new Planet Fitness will be closer to the growing City of Union, which may divert some excess business away from the Mall Road location.
The property is currently a grassy field, surrounded by Erpenbeck Elementary School, a Starbucks, a childcare center and suburban homes. The property, owned by Plantation Luxury Flats LLC, is zoned Commercial Two with a Planned Development overlay.
Planet Fitness, one of the largest gym franchises in the United States, is known for its inclusive environment. The gym enforces this through several rules, but perhaps its most famous is the “Lunk Alarm” siren, which is triggered when gym-goers engage in prohibited behaviors such as grunting or loudly dropping weights.
Prior to being heard by the Florence City Council, the Boone County Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposal in May.
Florence’s Director of Community Development first presented Midwest Fitness Partners’ proposal before the city council at a caucus meeting on June 2.
“I think additionally, one of the discussions that we had was there are a lot of folks in that area that will want to go to this facility rather than going all the way to Mall Road,” Morgan said during the June 2 meeting. “There’s just that many people in the area that take advantage of that particular gym.”
Throughout Morgan’s presentation, he highlighted several attached conditions, including requiring signage to comply with zoning regulations and the Plantation Pointe North development plan, and prohibiting signage on the building’s south side. A pedestrian sidewalk would also be required to connect the building entrance to the sidewalk along Cavalry Drive.
The building’s design was required to conform to the revised architectural plans submitted on May 28. Ultimately, the building would retain a flat roof, and all rooftop mechanical equipment would be screened behind parapet walls. Additionally, a decorative roof feature will be added to the building’s rear to enhance its appearance from nearby residential properties.
Regarding parking, the new Planet Fitness will feature a 223-spot parking lot, which exceeds the city’s standard maximum parking allowance. The rationale is to accommodate anticipated demand.
“I know folks had some concerns about it being a busy area. I think they’ve really accommodated the parking,” Morgan said. “There are only a hundred parking spaces at the (Mall Road) Planet Fitness.”
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