Neighborhood Updates

Hope this finds you all well, and Happy Holidays from all of us here at HPNC!

As many of you know, we have been working closely with the appropriate City of Cincinnati departments, as well as the development group, to ensure everyone has the latest information regarding the proposed development on the south side of Hyde Park Square.

For those not present at our meeting in November, the following motion was passed:

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council (HPNC) supports redevelopment in Hyde Park Square. As discussed at our September monthly meeting, we are open to a development that is 50 feet tall at the perimeter, has upper floor setbacks similar to 3500 Michigan (“Michigan Terrace”; Lululemon), is no taller than 3500 Michigan, and that improves the overall parking situation in Hyde Park Square. Unfortunately, the proposed Planned Development is 60 feet tall at the sidewalk, has smaller setbacks than 3500 Michigan, is taller than 3500 Michigan, and appears to make the parking situation worse. As a result, HPNC opposes the proposed Planned Development. HPNC wishes for the existing CN-P zoning to remain in effect.

For those of you that have an opinion on this matter, please feel free to reach out to the appropriate city officials as soon as possible to share your feelings. As you do, please feel free to CC HPNC (hpncpres@gmail.com) to make us aware.

• City of Cincinnati Planning:
  • planning@cincinnati-oh.gov
  • 513-352-4845
• City of Cincinnati Zoning:
  • zoninginfo@cincinnati-oh.gov
  • 513-352-2430
• City Council:
  • citycouncil@cincinnati-oh.gov
  • 513-352-3246

Also, a number of neighbors have put together a website (https://www.savehydeparksquare.org/) to share opinions and information about the development. Their intent for the website is to inform and educate the public and make everyone aware of how they can work to affect the outcome of this proposed development. The site also provides information about important dates regarding public hearings that will be held in the coming weeks/months. Please note that these hearings are not yet scheduled, but we will provide updates via email and social media channels once we have firm dates and times.

More to come on this front, so please consider joining the HPNC as a member, which will subscribe you to our email list and check back here often for additional updates. You can also donate to support HPNC, or pay your annual $20 dues, via our PayPal page.

Join us Saturday, November 23rd from 4:30 PM to 7 PM to kick off the holiday season and celebrate the lighting of the fountain! Bring the whole family. There will be a story time with the library at 4:30 PM and photos with Santa Paws (and your pup!) at the Firehouse for little ones, DORA drinks at lots of restaurants for the grownups, and plenty of local businesses who can help you cross things off your gift list.

There will also be music from vocalist Elaine Diehl and keyboardist Jim Swartout - including a community singalong with Christmas carols.
Music is from 5 PM to 7 PM. Square Lighting is at 6 PM!

We wanted to provide the community with an update following or November 12th meeting. After several months of public presentations, surveys, and meetings with our Zoning Committee, the developers asked the HPNC trustees to vote on their proposed concept plan.

In response, the HPNC trustees unanimously passed the following motion:

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council (HPNC) supports redevelopment in Hyde Park Square. As discussed at our September monthly meeting, we are open to a development that is 50 feet tall at the perimeter/sidewalk, has upper floor setbacks similar to 3500 Michigan (“Michigan Terrace”; Lululemon), is no taller than 3500 Michigan, and improves the overall parking situation in Hyde Park Square. Unfortunately, the proposed Planned Development is 60 feet tall at the perimeter/sidewalk, has smaller setbacks than 3500 Michigan, is taller than 3500 Michigan, and appears to make the parking situation worse. As a result, HPNC opposes the proposed Planned Development. HPNC wishes for the existing CN-P zoning to remain in effect.

HPNC is committed to continued dialog with both the developers and the community about this project. We will provide updates to you as they become available in our monthly meetings and email communications.

In addition, we delivered the letter above to the appropriate members of City of Cincinnati leadership.

Thank you to everyone that showed up for the Hyde Park Square Development Special Meeting on October 29th. The presentations from that meeting are available here:

- HPNC Opening Presentation

- HPS Developer Presentation

- HPNC Survey Analysis

Please join us on Tuesday, October 29th, at 7:00 PM for a special meeting to review and discuss the project planned for Hyde Park Square.

It will be held in the Multi-purpose Room on the first floor of the Hyde Park School at 3401 Edwards Road. Please enter through Door #1, which is adjacent to the main parking lot, on Edwards Rd., then follow the ground floor hallway to the right to reach the new addition, where the room is located.

Please take time to review the initial presentation from the development partners and complete the HPNC survey.

There are still Free Trees available via the Cincinnati Parks Department's Fall ReLeaf tree program. Since September 21st, eligibility has expanded to include applications in neighborhoods with >40% tree canopy, which includes Hyde Park.

To apply you must be able to pick up your tree on one of a few days in mid-October, and the department does ask that you,
"Please ONLY apply for a free tree if you are dedicated to picking up and planting in your front or backyard."

There are still a few trees left (12 shumard oaks) at the time of writing.

The department's webpage does provide additional information, but be aware that one of the links to the application form is broken. To reach the form, use the link at the top of that page, or simply click below:

At the August monthly meeting a group of developers who have acquired several properties in Hyde Park Square, more than 2 acres, announced its plans to redevelop a substantial part of the south side of Hyde Park Square. It requested that we distribute the attached survey to collect feedback.

Please pass this along to anyone else that you think would like to share their thoughts.

Hyde Park Square Community Engagement Survey is available at the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DFS9Z7H or use the button below:

Starting Monday (July 22nd), Edwards Rd. from the square to Hyde Park School (between Erie and Observatory) will be closed to thru traffic due to road construction work until September 9th.

What Connected Communities Means for Hyde Park & How Historic Designation Protects

The Hyde Park Long Range Plan Steering Committee wants to continue keeping you informed on issues that affect our community and our Plan—and to be guided by your questions and input.

City Council passed the Connected Communities legislation on June 5th – what does this mean for Hyde Park, and how can we preserve the unique character of our community?

Come to a second session of What's Up, Hyde Park? on Monday, July 1, 6:30-8:00 PM, in the meeting room of Oakley Recreation Center (in Hyde Park Plaza, near Bob Sumerel Tire) to get answers to those questions. This public meeting will focus on:

• Specific ways Connected Communities will impact Hyde Park - presented by Gary Wollenweber, HPNC Zoning Committee Chair, at 6:30 PM
• Historic districts in Hyde Park; how to seek historic designation for a property, street,or area; and the protection that historic designation offers - presented by Beth Johnson, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, at 7:00 PM  
  
• Your questions and input - throughout the program

This session is presented by members of the Hyde Park Long Range Plan Steering Committee.
Come, learn, be heard!

Just east of Edwards along Wasson Way there are now trees and associated plaques for Carl Uebelacker and the Hapner family