We had a great Mt. Lookout Community Council (MLCC) meeting this past week with near record attendance! The primary topic on the agenda focused on the solutions being proposed to help address demolition and lot split concerns here in Mt. Lookout and in Hyde Park. We had a great discussion and addressed many questions - thank you to all who came and participated. We'd also like to extend a special thank you to the City's Jared Ellis, Alex Peppers and Matt Shad who came to our meeting and helped walk us through the proposals in detail.
As we have shared with you over the summer, City Council in May appointed a Subdivision and Zoning Working Group comprised of representatives from the City, Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park and the local real estate and homebuilders community to explore forming Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCDs). New to Cincinnati, NCDs would allow communities to apply neighborhood-specific development standards to ensure that future development fits the character and context of those neighborhoods. After studying NCDs in other cities, the Working Group agreed that forming NCDs for Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park would address many of our neighborhoods' development concerns. Since then, the Working Group has prepared a new proposed chapter (Chapter 1436) for the City's Zoning Code that would enable NCDs to be established in City neighborhoods. The Working Group has also developed initial NCD plans for Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park and is working closely with City representatives to outline much-needed updates to the City's Subdivision (lot split) regulations. Links to related documents are provided in the next section of this newsletter.
At this time, recommendations being made by the Working Group include:
Approve amendments to the City's Zoning Code that would add Chapter 1436 (thereby permitting NCDs to be created within City neighborhoods)
Approve the adoption of the proposed initial NCDs for Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park
Extend Interim Development Control Overlay District No. 81 for three months to allow the Working Group to complete work that is still in progress (the IDC provides an extra layer of review for demolition and lot split permit applications while solutions are being worked out).
YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
On August 17, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved the above recommendations. But, the work does not end here. The next step towards implementing the recommendations is for the City's Economic Growth and Zoning Committee to review and approve them following a public hearing scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 5:
Economic Growth and Zoning Public Hearing
Wednesday, Sept. 5, 10:00 a.m.
Council Chambers, 801 Plum Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
If the Economic Growth and Zoning Committee approves the recommendations, then they will be voted on by City Council on Thursday, Sept. 6. City Council approval is necessary before any of the recommendations can be implemented.
City Council Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 6, 1:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, 801 Plum Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Based on feedback received from our community, the Mt. Lookout Community Council Board has already expressed its support for the Working Group's recommendations and will continue to do so at the upcoming City Council meetings.
Input from community members is also wanted and encouraged. You can share your opinions with the Economic Growth and Zoning Committee by sending a letter to committee members (email is fine) or by attending and speaking at the public hearing on Sept. 5. You can also send letters to all City Council members prior to their meeting on Sept. 6, or attend that meeting in person as well.
In response to a request made by participants at last week's MLCC meeting, below is a link to language you can use for letters expressing your support for implementing Neighborhood Conservation Districts over Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park as well as temporarily extending the IDC:
Thank you for your continued interest and involvement in these discussions. Additional information can be found on the Demolition and Lot Splits page of the MLCC website as well as on the Hyde Park & Mt. Lookout IDC Study page of the City's website. As always, feel free to send any questions or comments you have to the MLCC Board at [email protected].
