by Mihaela Manova
Loveland, Ohio – On February 4, the Loveland City Hall was filled with a crowd to witness and hopefully influence a vote for or against the building of an apartment complex at Loveland’s 102 Oak Street. As the meeting commenced, the public heard Rodney Sabo of Sabo Design Associates, describe the plans for the complex, budget, and method of parking and traffic.
The proposal the Planning and Zoning Commission was considering during the public hearing was to build four 16 unit apartment buildings on Oak Street in the Clermont County side of the City. “Oak Apartments” would have been four levels each with parking garages below each building. The proposal was for 106 total parking spaces with 1.6 parking spaces per unit. The lot is 1.033 acres.
Sabo Design submitted the application on behalf of their client, Hunt and Whitacre. To build the project the City would need to create a Special Planning District (SPD) which if approved would have erased the existing zoning restrictions and protections for the immediate neighborhood and create a separate zoning district with distinct restrictions, permissions, and guidelines.
The current zoning of the immediate neighborhood is Residential-Medium Density (R-MD). The existing R-MD zone does not permit high-density multiple-family uses.
Commission Chairman Al Kressler, Mark Redmond, Michael Kady, Brian O’Neill, and Tim Butler posed questions for the plan such as the possible rewards and pitfalls from the building of this complex before they each voted, “No”.
In opposition to the plan, the public bound together to declare and stand for the preservation of the land and current zoning, as each speaker presented individual points to support their cause. Many of the points included environmental damage, blockage of people’s home views, out-of-place aesthetics, lowering of the water pressure, and the promotion of in-and-out rental, not community bound estates.
The Commission heard both sides and decided with a 5-0 vote to not develop the land into an apartment complex.
The filled room disbanded in agreement around 9:10 PM.
Scroll down through this story to see a photo slideshow and watch post meeting interviews. You can watch the speeches during the open-forum, the proponent explaining the proposal, the staff report, and the questions P&Z had for the applicant.
Oak Street Apartments Interviews
Connie Crawford on Oak Street Apartment Proposal
Julie Fuson comments of Oak Street Apt. proposal
Neil Kluender wants his neighborhood protected
Becky Hasselbeck speaking about preventing more apartments
Steve DeFosset explains potential water supply problems if Apartments are built
Todd Osborne talks about proper use of SPD Zoning
Rocky Carpenter speaks up to preserve sanctity of his neighborhood
Mary Ann Bird discusses Oak Apartment proposal
Scott Lindgren talks about traffic conditions if Oak Street Apartments are built
Mark Krum talks about tearing down a home built in 1870s to built apartments
Cati O’Keefe lives immediately downhill from Oak Apartment and talked about how unstable the hillside is
Real Estate Agent Keli Williams’s take on Oak Apartment proposal
Tom Smith introduces staff report
Rodney Sabo with Sabo Design Associates explains his proposal for Oak Apartments
Oak Apartment designer answers P&Z questions
