Zoo seeks notwithstanding ordinance for shared parking

On February 10, Cincinnati City Council will consider a notwithstanding ordinance that would allow the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to lease spaces at four of their parking locations to surrounding institutions.

The 87 acres are currently zoned RMX Residential Mixed District and PR Parks and Recreation, which do not permit shared parking.

"Sharing of parking facilities not only reduces the number of parking lots within the community and preserves housing stock, it also decreases the need for storm water management and preserves green space," says a statement supporting the ordinance, supplied by land use consultants McBride Dale Clarion. "As the location for the City's first LEED Silver certified building and soon to be Platinum certified building, the Zoo is extremely proactive in sustainable design and construction and believes in conserving environmental resources whenever possible."

The notwithstanding ordinance is the Zoo's last resort.

City planning staff had previously advised the Zoo to have the lots rezoned to IR Institutional Residential District, a request that lost staff support and was shot down in December.

A second idea, to rezone all of the property to PR, became a non-issue because it was thought that doing so might allow freestanding parking lots on all property zoned PR throughout the City.