The hills of Cincinnati are under review with the announcement of the Cincinnati Hillside Initiative. The city is partnering with the nonprofit organization The Hillside Trust to evaluate maps and zoning requirements.
City Director of Buildings and Inspections Art Dahlberg says public feedback is a key part of this effort.
"We want to make sure that as we're going through this effort, we're not just looking at the science, we're not just looking at the engineering behind it all, but we're also looking at community impacts."
The city is hosting two public meetings next month, one on May 7 in Price Hill and one virtual meeting on May 20. Residents can also take an online survey.
The city also will seek feedback from developers and other stakeholders.
Dahlberg says heavy rain over the past few weeks highlights how fragile hillsides can be. He says he hopes the effort will strengthen protections against things like erosion and landslides.
"We've had a handful of hillside problems, so we want to really make sure that we can do this well," he said. "We want to balance the community growth piece with being responsible from an environmental perspective."
City Council funded this work with $100,000 as part of the current fiscal year budget.
How to give feedback
Learn more and find a link to the survey on the city's website at this link.
Two public meetings are scheduled:
- Wednesday, May 7 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Price Hill Recreation Center. Register at this link.
- Tuesday, May 20 from 6-7:30 p.m. virtually via Zoom. Register at this link.
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