CityLink litigation could lead to zoning changes

As a result of the CityLink litigation, the City of Cincinnati's Zoning Text Amendment Committee (ZTAC) will soon make recommendations to the City Planning Commission on proposed changes to the zoning code.

The City Planning Commission formed ZTAC in 2007 to review proposed changes to the zoning code before they are presented at their meetings.

The proposed $12 million, 98,000-square-foot CityLink facility would include long-term transitional housing, a jobs center, a health center, a gym, a cafe, a day care and a barber/beauty salon.

As a result of county lawsuits in which specific terms in the City's zoning code were called into question, on January 15 Councilmember Chris Bortz offered a motion to:

* Replace the term "community service facility" with "social service facility"
* Define "community" and "commercial"
* Amend the definition of "transitional housing" to ban dormitory-styled housing and to specify a numeric limit
* Define "short-term", "long-term", and "transitional"
* Amend the definition of "special assistance shelter" to set a numeric limit on the number of residents.

Opponents of CityLink requested the changes, hoping to avoid the further concentration of social services, which they fear would concentrate poverty and crime in an area that is already struggling with economic development.

They claim that what they term a "community service facility" would be allowed in many different neighborhoods and that the approval of CityLink would set a dangerous precedent, allowing similar large social services sites to develop without any real City control.

In December, CityLink attorney Tim Burke contacted City Council asking for an end to the "fear mongering and misrepresentation" of CityLink opponents, adding that the planned transitional housing would only be allowed in areas zoned for manufacturing, like their site at 800 Bank Street in the West End, and not in residential neighborhoods or in business districts.

The proposed land use has been found to be proper and legal by both the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and the Hamilton County Court of Appeals.

ZTAC's recommendations will be subject to public hearings by the City Planning Commission and City Council's Economic Development Committee before coming to a Council vote.

Previous reading on BC:
Burke defends CityLink (12/27/07)