jim uber

That's really great. I was just looking at that building the other day and wondering what in the heck was going on with it. I guess that the sale just a month ago for $300K sort of justifies the strategy of owners holding onto OTR properties.

Unfortunately, I think they will see that nearly all buildings on the south side of Liberty, have an orientation to the street just like what they propose. With the exception (somehow?) of the Salem united church of Christ at Sycamore street. I assume that's because of the historic realignment of the street grid when Liberty street orientation was changed.

Oh my goodness. Yes, the urban design goal should absolutely be to highlight the fountain as one is driving past it in a car on 5th street. Maybe you'll get lucky and be stopped at the light for 30 seconds so you can gaze upward at its majesty through the windshield.

I understand that you can't implement a plan based on performance, without spending some money to continuously validate performance. But, Phase 1 of MSDs wet weather program has cost the community $1.5B; Phase 2 was estimated to cost $2.3B and was deemed to be "unaffordable" by the community. This is a serious problem with serious money flowing into it. The talk is all about a holistic approach but the reality, it seems, is that doing the right thing - preventing or reducing runoff due to parcel level development - is just not getting the serious attention it deserves, IMHO. And it's impacting folks wallets a lot more than the price of eggs.

One of my neighbors on Wade Street is converting a vacant lot to parking. I don't love this sort of development, but the level of grey infrastructure (and presumably costs) required is pretty amazing. The land and development costs, plus the forever ongoing property taxes plus sewer payments must make this a pretty pricey way to park. What also astonishes me is the disconnect between the rules for creating impervious surfaces and related incentives or disincentives, and the high costs that we all are paying (in our sewer bills) for mitigating combined sewer overflows that still occur all over Cincinnati whenever we have a significant rainfall event. To the best of my knowledge, we still operate under an old set of rules for determining sewer/stormwater rates for developed parcels. I don't think there are any incentives for the developer to install pervious pavement, for example. Why use anything but asphalt, if my sewer/stormwater rates are going to be the same? I know that, for a new residential build, you will get zero credit on your sewer/stormwater bill from installing a green roof, or a large rainwater storage tank, both of which would significantly reduce and delay runoff from hitting the sewer network. Why this has not been fixed by now, defies any logic that I can supply.

I mean, it obviously depends on how many garages there are and how far I have to walk to get to/from my car. There are benefits to garage parking, even if it isn't private. Protection from the sun, less likelihood of break-ins and side-swipes than on narrow OTR side streets. And, in the future, actual feasibility of buying an EV.

The whole live-work-play thing has seemed a little overworked for a while now, but whatever. This is such a prominent spot, great to see. I was surprised and happy to see that they have entry work space plans for an individual at $75/month. I know that would still be a lot for some folks to bear and enough to keep people in their home desks. But I was expecting much more than that. The amenities they offer are pretty significant - free wifi and coffee with beer on tap. I imagine you probably have to pay extra to use their meeting spaces, though.

What I meant was, you don’t have to choose “I want Airbnb hotels everywhere “ or “I want no Airbnb units anywhere” there are many options that could be policy.

Sorry but your consistent zero-sum-game argument is failing to land.

I've enjoyed this discussion! If I had anything else to add, it's that this is not about "either you have airbnb, or you don't" - it's about thinking and having a debate about whether there are sensible rules to follow. I stay in Airbnb frequently - they used to be better when you had actual property owners running them, but whatever. I even ran an airbnb in one unit of my 7 unit apartment building next door, until I got tired of cleaning toilets. Also, if you live in OTR and are paying attention, you probably know that this is far from just a one building or one owner or "one night" issue. The building operated by this one entity - ES Rentals - owns at least 4 OTR properties I can point to that are run according to the same model. It's a scalable business. I get that. But before virtual-ness of everything became a virtue, scalability just meant efficiency. You still had a human being somewhere. The lobby was staffed. This is just a building with an app allowing virtually anyone to walk in or out, and do whatever they want until someone complains. Sorry, but that sort of thing just didn't exist before. It's a stretch to connect this to anything larger, but I'm willing to try! To me, it's just a continuation of the degradation of humanity. Virtual friends, virtual social networks, virtual work, virtual hotels. And no, I'm no luddite; I develop software. Some of my software is going to eliminate jobs. It's a struggle, and it should be.

The issue is what is acceptable in terms of land use in OTR. If you are on the side of "land ownership is the sole determinant of land use" (I'm not saying that you are), then you get what that evolves into. If you are on the side of "land ownership is finite and virtually unlimited uses and renters is incompatible with maintaining community health" (I am) then you ask for rules on land use. I am saying that renting out units, and indeed entire buildings, by the day or weekend, to renters that nobody has any interest in vetting cause they are visitors and only represent $$$, will eventually degrade society for those people that choose to live there. I think what @1400 Sycamorewas saying is that, in the absence of those rules, then here come the cops. I agree, that can turn out badly. All the more reason for City Council to debate rules on short term rentals that go beyond just trying to get tax dollars.

Thanks - It is owned by Ean, whom I know. I have interacted with him for years, and certainly did so after this event. I am running into an unavoidable conflict between homeowners, and his chosen business model. I think we need regulations, to put it bluntly. I have nothing against someone renting a unit short term, but Ean's and others model is to take this to the extreme. They buy properties in OTR, minimally rehab / maintain them, and rent them out 100% for anything more than a day with only the checks that Airbnb etc can provide. Contrast that with my apartment building that is rented for minimum 12 month leases, and with prior background and credit checks on everybody. If you're interested in what ES properties does specifically - These properties are rented through multiple outlets including FurnishedFinder, VRBO, Airbnb, and a real estate grouping called "Drew and Ingrid". Some of what they offer? You can rent the entire building that is “ideal for any team or traveling group.” "Events" are specifically allowed, including “family gatherings, birthday parties, and weddings” Their advertising focuses on proximity to TQL stadium, the casino, as well as OTR attractions. Put all of that together, and does it sound like a building that would make a good neighbor? I can assure you that it is not. My main point is that they are running virtual hotels and event centers where nobody meets anybody, and there is no on site manager with everything "touchless". This seems to be an amazing thing but in the end you get a degradation of the community because of the invisible revolving door of renters.

Last night a 31 year old man died next door. From our home at 1529 Elm, the shots were loud and literally about 10 ft away in the adjoining building. 1531 Elm, the building next door to it, and many, many others in the neighborhood, are Airbnb hotels. See the entrance door and its telltale lockbox jewelry. I think these Airbnb hotels are ruining OTR as a neighborhood for those of us who make it our home. We don’t know who comes and goes. We don’t get the pleasure of getting to know who lives next to us. Just suitcases and parties. All of this in service of greedy owners who don’t care about providing good homes for good people.

Or, "Hueber" homes on Elm. I never noticed that unusual spelling of the name.

Real construction at Liberty and Elm. Taken today.