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“Those folks are really a core group of citizens that are leading that organization,” Videkovich said. “I can’t say that all of the ideas they come up with all the time represent how everybody feels down there about certain things, but they certainly work very hard to at least get the word out and get folks’ input before they decide something needs to be changed or updated.”

Who makes development decisions, and what is the process?

To the west of Kenton County, Boone County is quickly growing in population and development. Still, according to Boone County Planning Commission Executive Director Kevin Costello, roughly two-thirds of the county remains unincorporated. Florence is the second-largest city in Northern Kentucky, with almost 32,000 residents; still, unincorporated Boone County nearly triples that population with 91,485 residents.

Topography plays a role. Most development in Boone County, such as the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport, sits on flat land with utilities and roads to support it. The developed cities of Florence, Union and Walton also sit on relatively flat land supported by infrastructure, he said.

“If you’re looking at a map, then kind of the eastern portion is more planned for growth, whereas the western portion into the south is rural,” Costello said.

Jenna LeCount, Director of Community Development Services at the Boone County Planning Commission, said residents’ involvement in updates to the comprehensive plan, which occur every five years, is integral to having their opinions heard. The county is updating its comprehensive plan, which guides appropriate development.

Residents should get involved at the zoning phase, which is well before conversations about specific developments occur, LeCount said.

“The distinction to make in the planning process is the difference between land use and zoning,” she said. “So often … individuals are more engaged in development discussions during the zoning process, but that process comes sometimes years after the recommended planned land use.”

Costello said development challenges in rural areas are consistent with rural land in other counties lacking road and sewer infrastructure. Because of that, he said, places like the land near Big Bone Lick State Park have very low projected growth.

“Some people like the changes in terms of convenience, amenities and recreation,” Costello said. “Some people are concerned about it; some people don’t want it anymore. They got it, but they don’t want it anymore. It’s a challenge for everybody.”

There are 15 members on the Boone County Planning Commission – two from Walton, one from Union, six from Florence and six from the county – so each has representation. Kenton County operates similarly, with at least one representative for each city. Bigger cities like Covington have three.

Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore appoints six members to the commission, Costello said. One of those is Bob Schwenke, a third-generation farmer and one of the biggest landowners in the county. Costello said Schwenke’s knowledge of the rural area makes him well-suited to represent that interest on the commission.

Campbell County operates differently. Some cities, like Newport and Fort Thomas, control their own planning and zoning services.

Back in southern Campbell County, a group of residents has banded together to create the Preserve Protect and Keep South Campbell County Rural LLC nonprofit, which filed a lawsuit against the fiscal court last month.

The nonprofit was formed by residents and landowners living in unincorporated Campbell County who are “upset with the planning commission, planning staff and fiscal court continuing to approve overdevelopment in rural Campbell County,” said Steve Megerle, attorney for the residents involved in both the Maronda Homes court battle and the nonprofit.

Megerle said the petition he filed last month was prompted by the county’s subdivision regulations and zoning ordinances being in conflict with each other.

“The county needs to resolve the conflicts in the zoning code before they should adopt or approve any more dense subdivisions in the rural parts of the county,” he said.

Armstrong, who used to smell her neighbors’ cigarette smoke and hear their toilet flush in her Crestview home, is one of the residents involved in the Preserve Protect and Keep South Campbell County Rural LLC lawsuit. She said there isn’t representation on the planning commission for unincorporated Campbell County, which sparked the creation of the nonprofit.

The purpose of the lawsuit, she said, is not to prevent progress but to make sure it’s more mindful.

“Preserve is to make the other people realize we do value our land out here, and we want to keep it that way,” she said.

Watch: Who gets to decide