Loveland Station resolution, ordinance passes
After months of debate and delays and amidst resident concerns, the Loveland Station development project is moving forward again with the full support of city council.
Loveland City Council passed a resolution to make changes to the development agreement and an ordinance to transfer the land to developer Jim Cohen by a 7-0 vote at a special meeting Oct. 7.
Though council all voted in favor, residents who spoke during the public hearing before the vote, were split on the development.
Tim Canada, owner of Bond Furniture, 113 Karl Brown Way, criticized the large investment in the project the city has made.
“It is irresponsible for the taxpayers of Loveland to lose $2 million of their hard-earned money on this,” Canada said.
Councilwoman Angie Settell said past Loveland administration borrowed money to buy the property for $2 million. The city is selling it to Cohen for $180,000.
“By that land sitting vacant, there is not one cent we are receiving from it. In return for selling this property, we might not like the figure, but we will get in its place a $10 million development,” Settell said. She added the development will expand the city’s tax base by bringing in new residents and will generate money from the commercial aspects.
Loveland Station, formerly called River Trail Flats, will have 94 apartments, 15,000 square feet of commercial space and 232 parking spaces, 80 of which will be public. The project is being development by CMC Properties.
Canada said the development does not have enough parking spaces for the amount of new residents and visitors it will bring into the downtown.
Almost all residents who spoke expressed concerns about parking.
Loveland resident Chad Powers said the parking problem can be frustrating, but pointed out it is better for residents to have to drive around for a few minutes to find a spot than having an empty downtown.
“We need to try and make something work here. If we don’t seize opportunities we have they will just keep passing over us,” Powers said.
Councilwoman Paulette Leeper said with the amount of time and money the city has poured into the development it would have been reckless to not vote for the development.
“While this development is not perfect, it has to move forward. If the city continues on the successful path it is on…all of us have to work together to fix the parking and traffic concerns,” Councilwoman Pam Gross said.
Despite passing unanimously on at the Oct. 7 meeting, the resolution was failed by council in April and then tabled three times. Council had to have two special meetings to get the ordinance passed and had to move the closing date on the project from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8.
Mayor Linda Cox said the project started in 2011 when the city rezoned the land to allow for a large-scale development. Since then, the city has worked with three different developers and had three development plans. The development has also had two names the original Loveland Station name was changed to River Trail Flats. But, the resolution changed it back to Loveland Station.
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Loveland parking problem plans
Trouble finding parking in downtown Loveland is not a new problem for residents, but many raised concerns that the Loveland Station development could cause an increase.
“We are looking into the traffic and parking concerns and the city has a plan,” Councilwoman Pam Gross said to residents at the meeting about Loveland Station.
The city has qualified for a grant and it plans to use the money to build a parking facility at the city-owned McCoy property, south of Broadway Street and west of the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail.
“That property plan has the potential to have more than 100 parking spaces,” Gross said.
Mayor Linda Cox said the city will be looking at the plans when it sets the 2015 budget in the next few months.
The city has also established the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee, which is working on long-term parking solutions for the downtown. Gross said the committee will be presenting to council in November.
The next parking committee meeting is on Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at city hall.