Cincinnati applies for $10.5K to map historic properties

The City of Cincinnati Department of City Planning and Buildings has applied for a $10,500 Certified Local Government (CLG) grant from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO) to complete digital mapping of potentially historic properties.

The mapping project, the final phase of the four-phased Historic Inventory Survey, would cover properties in the 23 Cincinnati neighborhoods deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

These neighborhoods, which represent the remaining neighborhoods that have not been surveyed for properties that are eligible for National Register listing, include: Bond Hill, Carthage, Clifton, College Hill, Columbia Tusculum, East Walnut Hills, Hartwell, The Heights (CUF), Hyde Park, Kennedy Heights, Linwood, Madisonville, Mt. Airy, Mt. Lookout, Mt. Washington, North Avondale, Northside, Oakley, Paddock Hills, Pleasant Ridge, Roselawn, Spring Grove Village, and Winton Hills.

This survey is being conducted as part of the City's comprehensive master plan, which contains a preservation element.

"The inventories are necessary to document historically significant properties in the City of Cincinnati," says City Urban Conservator Larry Harris. "The City zoning code supports protection of historic properties and allows the City to designate local districts and landmarks with guidelines that govern development impact on these properties."

As a Certified Local Government, the surveys assist with the City's Section 106 responsibilities, he says.

"The three [previous] completed surveys have been digitized and mapped and allow the preservation professionals in my office to quickly indentify properties the eligible properties," Harris says. "Phase four will also serve the same purposes."

Surveys for the other 29 City neighborhoods were completed between 2002 and 2004. OHPO has approved those phases for Section 106 review.

A $7,500 local match will come from a surplus in the 2009 comprehensive master plan capital project account.

Approximately $60,000 is available from the OHPO for this year's CLG funding cycle. Recipients are expected to be announced in August.

The fourth phase of the survey will be completed by January 2011.

CLG grants are allocated by the National Park Service.