BUSINESS

City panel rejects Hyde Park overlay district

Bowdeya Tweh
btweh@enquirer.com

A proposal to create more scrutiny on residential property developments in Hyde Park was rejected Friday by the Cincinnati Planning Commission.

The interim development control overlay district would have impacted a three-mile wide area for people interested in completing major demolition or new construction projects. The Hyde Park district would have been the largest of its type the city has created.

Instead, the commission voted to study the city’s rules to determine if changes are needed when parties seek approval for splitting lots.

The proposal riled Cincinnati’s real estate community, which feared creating such a district would send the wrong message to prospective real estate investors and home builders and existing property owners. It could also have forced the city to take action on requests from other neighborhoods interested in pursuing similar plans. And even with the Planning Commission's approval, City Council would still had to vote on temporarily adding development controls in the area.

“There’s been a tremendous infusion of capital in Hyde Park in recent years and I think this would have a negative effect,” said C. Francis Barrett, a Cincinnati-based lawyer and Hyde Park resident. “I think this is a tremendous overreach.” A new residential subdivision development is underway on land Barrett's family owned on Grandin Road.

Meanwhile, supporters said additional public scrutiny over proposed developments and broader neighborhood studies help them have input in the future of the neighborhood.

“The No. 1 goal is transparency,” said Tony Haslinger, a Hyde Park Neighborhood Council member. “They just want to know what’s going on in their community. People want to be able to voice their opinions on these outliers such as the lot splits that might densify their streets. We want to study it and we want to get it right. We think it’s a reasonable request.”

Interim development control overlay districts, or IDCs, are not designed to stop development. Once an overlay is approved by ordinance, it temporarily requires those seeking to complete new construction, demolition or alteration of existing structures to gain approval for plans in a public forum.

The Planning Commission’s review of the issue came at the request of Mayor John Cranley’s administration. Residents from Hyde Park and other neighborhoods reached the mayor’s office with concerns about how recent proposals for new housing developments would impact the neighborhood’s aesthetics, character, quality of life and property values. As a result, the mayor’s office asked city planners to study the impacts.

Cranley said it wasn't his goal to paralyze development around the neighborhood. He wanted to create a sense of urgency on the issues raised by residents.

“An IDC was only a temporary fix at best,” he said. “It wasn’t a permanent solution. We’re heading in a direction of finding a solution to the problem.”

Requests for splitting one lot into five or fewer lots are handled administratively, while those planning to create six or more are heard by the Planning Commission, said Charles Graves, Cincinnati’s planning director. During the meeting, Graves said many cities have reviews when three or more lots are created for a development.

Over the next few months, city planners will study whether Cincinnati’s rules should be changed and whether they can be changed on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

Hyde Park is one of Cincinnati’s most affluent neighborhoods and boasts one of the healthiest housing markets in the city. Hyde Park’s median household income is more than twice the city average, and home values are nearly three times higher than the city average.

“This is really critical that we do the right thing for the community and the planning department,” said Amy Murray, a city councilwoman and planning commission member.

The meeting brought out dozens of people from Hyde Park, home builders and others in Cincinnati’s real estate community. Twice as many speakers during the public meeting spoke against creating the neighborhood-wide district than those who spoke for it.

There were 17 new residential construction permits issued in Hyde Park with one request pending last year, according to city data presented at Friday’s meeting. This year, one new construction permit has been issued while 10 are pending.

Lori Wellinghoff, president of Hyde Park-based residential design and construction firm Digs, said the threat of the IDC has already caused some people to pause planned investments. Wellinghoff said people who may be concerned about the look of the neighborhood need to understand Hyde Park already features a range of architectural styles and properties dating back to the 1850s.

“The emergency IDC is not an emergency,” she said. “It’s the natural rhythm of what has transpired in Hyde Park over the last 200 years.”

City officials warned the commission about the staff time and cost it would take to complete the study, handle administrative reviews under the IDC and give proper notification to residents about upcoming development plans. There were about 4,000 unique property owners under the proposed boundaries of the overlay district, said Justin Lamorella, a planner for the city. Study costs were estimated at $50,000, but no money had been allocated for it.

City Manager Harry Black said the financial estimate was conservative especially if other neighborhoods wanted to follow Hyde Park's example.

“We’ve got 52 neighborhoods so do the math,” he said. “It means that something else wouldn’t get done to support this. Something would have to be offset.”

Earlier this year, City Council approved the creation of an overlay on a quarter-mile stretch of Hyde Park’s Menlo Avenue, which impacts about a dozen properties. Residents voiced concerns that the planned subdivision of lots, including 3301-3303 Menlo Ave., for additional housing could impact the feel of the neighborhood and property values.

Now, Bronzie Design and Build, which acquired 3301-3303 Menlo from Camden Homes, is planning to consolidate the parcel and build a new custom house. However, the IDC in that neighborhood has had a hammer-like effect, according to builder Jim Bronzie. Despite losing one buyer for the new home planned on Menlo and money lost to comply with zoning rules, Bronzie said the firm has been able to find a new prospective buyer.