The gas lights are scattered throughout many neighborhoods, but the largest concentration is in Clifton.  If you are ever in Clifton during a power outage, you will see how effective the gas lights are in illuminating the streets.  Also Clifton has very few of those overhead mercury vapor lamps because of the gas lights. 

 

There are also gas lights in many other neighborhoods (Westwood, College Hills, etc.), but they are fewer in number and sometimes isolated to a single street.   

The light in the picture is electric.  He's just referring to the unique yellow bell that hides the bulb.  A friend of mine pointed these out to me maybe 10 years ago.  I had never even noticed them before, but they're all over town and I really like them.

 

There was a recent Enquirer article about them. Apparently they were where streetcars (and buses?) used to stop, and the color is due to the old orange color of the local transit company (pre-SORTA). DOTE says they are too expensive to replace, so as they die or get hit by cars they are simply removed. The article was about them being endangered.

 

I was thinking the cost of manufacture could likely be significantly reduced by 3D printing.

That Enquirer article is a bit off-base.  Yes they had lights at streetcar stops, in some cases, but they weren't like the modern island lights.  Since then, they've been used to indicate islands and medians wherever they may occur, so they have virtually no bearing on where streetcar stops used to be.  Those lenses are glass though, so I can see that being an expensive part to replace.  Plus being at the head-on end of islands and such, they're sitting ducks for errant vehicles. 

^I always just assumed that some city building had a basement full of those from the old days, since there are still so many intact and they're clearly vintage.

^ Maybe they finally ran out?

That Enquirer article is a bit off-base.  Yes they had lights at streetcar stops, in some cases, but they weren't like the modern island lights.  Since then, they've been used to indicate islands and medians wherever they may occur, so they have virtually no bearing on where streetcar stops used to be.  Those lenses are glass though, so I can see that being an expensive part to replace.  Plus being at the head-on end of islands and such, they're sitting ducks for errant vehicles. 

 

I was wondering why I hadn't heard of the transit link before.

Tom McNamara who was quoted in the article is an authority on the historic streetcar and bus systems.  In fact I think he was around for the final days of streetcar operations (those guys at the Cincinnati Transit Historical Association are classic old-timers).  I bet the Enquirer just latched onto something he said and dumbed it down. 

The gas lights are scattered throughout many neighborhoods, but the largest concentration is in Clifton.  If you are ever in Clifton during a power outage, you will see how effective the gas lights are in illuminating the streets.  Also Clifton has very few of those overhead mercury vapor lamps because of the gas lights. 

 

There are also gas lights in many other neighborhoods (Westwood, College Hills, etc.), but they are fewer in number and sometimes isolated to a single street.   

 

And as I remember, and google street view seems to confirm, in Cincinnati it is normal for the gas light to be the only source of street lighting on the particular street.  In other words, no mercury or sodium vapor lights at higher elevations above.  I've been doing some research on this and it appears that Cincinnati is very unique in that I can only confirm two other US cities that have city-wide gaslight systems.  One is Boston, the other is South Orange NJ. 

 

BTW, the mid-street islands for streetcars...I did some posting about this on the streetcar thread a while back.  The islands are necessary so people can board/disembark trackside rather than from the curb.  In Toronto where streetcars are everywhere most streets don't have the islands, and (not to denegrate streetcars of course) passengers getting struck by careless or uninformed motorists is a big problem.  More about this at the TTC website.  Where islands are/were used, they frequently get illuminated so cars don't strike them.

Loading platform on Harrison:

 

 

and on Gilbert:

 

 

These don't appear to be the lights we're talking about.

Cincinnati Port Authority buys former Hudepohl brewery

 

The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority purchased the former Hudepohl brewery property and another piece of property in Queensgate this week for a total of $650,000.

 

The Port Authority purchased the former brewery, located at 801 W. Sixth St., from brothers Safi Safi and Saeed Safi for $400,000. It purchased an adjacent property, 840 W. Fifth St., from West Fifth Lofts LLC for $250,000.

 

The Port Authority is working on a stabilization plan for both properties and plans to reposition them to support industrial uses in the future. It hasn’t decided if it will demolish the buildings.

 

Discussion here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3324.new#new

Cinti Pres Assoc posted that the Brighton / German bank building is for sale.

All they have is this phone # 513-421-4008

This is the building at Harrison, Central, Central Parkway & the Brighton Approach.

HamCoAud lists this ^ as 1110 Harrison. Total Market value $85K

I say Cincinnati UO pool their assets & set it up as the Cincinnati UOHQ

Some more positive news for historic preservation on the Westside. This fine restoration at 1605 State was recently featured on the nationally known old house website, "Old House Dreams". It is the FIFTH Westside property to be written up by the OHD website in the last few months. Apparently in the world of preservation, the world does not "revolve" around OTR like it does locally, which is, to most preservationists, more like a Disneyland stage set; Old on the outside and "Urbanist Loft' on the inside

 

I am always amazed at the comments from out of state preservationists who are totally mystified that we focus all our efforts on few neighborhoods when we have such fine resources. I'll just about bet it gets bought by an out of state preservationist who recognizes this home for the bargain it is.

http://www.oldhousedreams.com/2014/07/18/1875-second-empire-cincinnati-oh/#comment-45460

 

 

The bigger discussion is how do we move other neighborhoods forward and must we rely on out of state people to do all the heavy lifting? Clearly to be competitive at attracting businesses and their employees we must have more housing diversity and neighborhoods to choose from than just one.  I am mystified the city government hasn't figured this out yet.

 

Yeah well guess what State Ave. is a total dump and it's always going to be. OTR is improving steadily and Walnut Hills and the West End will be next.  Instead you're wasting your time and money out in doomed areas. 

Hmm interesting  since they had a lot of showings since the article came out and I understand someone is flying in from New York State to look at it. I just sold a lot to a developer last week getting ready to built a 250K house on it in my 'doomed' neighborhood, and the guy who bought the house down the street from me has a 180K restoration budget.

Amazing, Paul, your sheer hatred for Cincinnati has now moved on to the entire state of Ohio?

That house on State is surrounded by overgrown vacant lots, abandoned garages and has morons racing up & down the street.

FWIW an out of state investor is coming to my crappy Cincinnati neighborhoods to talk to the community council about his piece of crap apartment complex that the police could probably set up a sub station at. Guess this proves your point about the out of state investors who know a deal better than anybody in Ohio.

Honestly, your obsession with 2,3 neighborhoods in Cincinnati is freakish.

The guy from New York wants to move in it, not an investor. That is my point, the only people that are moving here and restoring seem to be from out of state. You know there is a new show on about townhouse restoration in Price Hill called Rowhouse showdown?

 

I love Cincinnati, I just wish that the people who have lived here all their life did.

 

Almost all the homes I have featured in Preservation bargains series on my own blog have been bought by people from out of town who have moved to this city. Most of the people who are moving into my neighborhood are from out of state. Who is gone? The investor types, slumlords and drug dealers. I don't know why you can't use city government to make them enforce their own laws but we seem to be able to do it. The city is now contacting us about taking properties from slumlords wanting to surrender them because they cant deal with code enforcement. We have eliminated over 40 section 8 units from our neighborhood and those are on their way back to single family.

 

Quimbob if you drove up State Ave ( and slowed down) you might notice the several new homes were built on State a couple of years ago (not high end but a sign of improvements) or the other restorations around this house. Did you know there is the Incline District? Did you know Westwood just had a major real estate open house weekend? or that Price Hill Will is selling 140K houses now?

 

I just put a guy looking for a house to restore on the Westside (moving from out of town) in touch with a  certain well-known OTR realtor who also just happens to also be restoring a house in my neighborhood.

 

And I am not neighborhood specific, quimbob  I'm working on writing a restoration plan for a client in Walnut Hills right now.

 

 

Is the owner cutting losses or moving on? Just curious - because $150,000 for what is supposed to be a showcase residence is nothing. It has nice landscaping and paint, but there are houses in Price Hill and Northside for far less per square-foot in much more desirable areas. If he is selling for that price, then there either has to be issues with the location, issues with the residence or the owner figured out that the value just isn't there to continue work.

He owns most of the restorations around there, including the ones across the street.  Sherman, 150K on State is pretty significant when the new homes down the road sold in the 80K range. I would guess its about establishing comps, and he is starting some more restores.  You have to remember Sherman, things have been selling for 20-30K tops just a few years ago. Also you can keep your restore costs down when you don't hire everything out. This is not the nicest house down their either (there is that towered one).

 

I would argue that "location" is in the eye of the beholder. You are 5 minutes to downtown on a hill, nice view. That appeals to a lot of people. I mean now that the tax abatements are running out in Mt Adams and these people are getting socked with high taxes they are selling and coming over ,to price hill, my neighborhood, and anywhere with a view. I think the run-up in prices is going to surprise people , just like it did in Columbia Tusculum, Mt Adams and OTR.

I really don't see how someone who can afford to own a house in Mt. Adams is going to be prompted to move because of a few grand extra per year in property taxes.  They're certainly not going to move to these sketchy hillside streets where there's nothing to walk to and they're surrounded by thugs and white trash. 

Those 'new' houses were built in 2008 by Lower Price Hill, LLC, a shell company by Model Property Development. The development company received subsidies to make the houses affordable to 80% of the neighborhood residents, and the homebuyers were given financial assistance to purchase the houses. Some took two years to sell, and one of those (out of a random selection) sold for $75,000 in 2010. Not bad for three bedrooms, 1.5 baths and a basement.

 

But none of them have appreciated. They are now stagnant properties. It wasn't as if they improved the neighborhood; it didn't really matter since those lots had been vacant since 1922. But they are generally not kept in the best of condition and their construction leaves a bit to be desired.

You know when people bought in Mt Adams 10 years ago we were not talking about the prices today. Oh and its not a "few grand" we are talking about your taxes going from 400 a year to 8-9000.00. Also 10 years ago Mt Adams still had rough spots and a lot of criminal element passing through, prices were a lot less.  So now they can pocket 5-600K go to another neighborhood buy a house for next to nothing, restore it and come out like a bandit again. That's who are coming to my neighborhood and Price Hill, people who can see beyond what's there now and realize what will be there in a few years. While people are standing in line to buy overpriced condos in OTR those people will be laughing all the way to the bank. As far as 'walk to' something? When you have money you can afford a car and you are only 5 minutes to downtown, but with the new restaurants and stuff coming to incline its not even going to take that long. As you get older you don't care so much about walking to a bar and staggering home, you are more interested in having a nice dinner. I have zero interest in living in neighborhood where I have to deal with constant traffic, prostitution,and noisy drunk people.

 

A lot of preservation oriented people settle in a neighborhood, it gets expensive, they sell and move on to the next thing. BTW people laugh at them until that neighborhood is turned around too and they make a bunch of money again.

 

They are moving to those "sketchy" hillsides , just like they did when Mt Adams was "sketchy".

Those 'new' houses were built in 2008 by Lower Price Hill, LLC,...

 

If I remember correctly, those houses were pre-manufactured, and came in on trucks. The foundations were built on site, and a crane stacked the "boxes." If nothing else, it was an interesting construction method.

 

 

Sherman I agree they were NOT high end but its an improvement over nothing. You know neighborhood turnaround is about 'baby steps'.

 

I am reminded about when I lived up in Indy the local high school built some homes in my neighborhood similar to those years ago. Last week one sold for 249K , the last time it sold for 140K and the guys that bought it did a makeover, higher end floors, IKEA cabinets, lighting upgrades etc. Its still a 1600 sq foot house on a crawl space but it has come along way from when it first sold for 90K. But same situation; they were stagnant price wise for years, but, when you now have new homes selling for 550K and restored homes from 400-600 even a vinyl sided high school built home goes up too.

 

So in the overall context , those homes may be an eventual win as the neighborhood gets better. Someone will come in, buying cheap price, rip off the roofline , add top floor master suites with walk out rooftops. You just have to think bigger picture.

If comparing Mt. Adams in 2004 to Price Hill today is not delusional, I don't know what is.

I've been talking with a company that built these. They are modular and it sells for 250-350K depending on finishes. It a very cost effective way to do infill.

If comparing Mt. Adams in 2004 to Price Hill today is not delusional, I don't know what is.

 

In 2004 1st QTR according to trulia and based on sold prices, the median sales price was 200K there was a runup to 500k within that year and it bottomed out in early 2005 below 200K,  That is median meaning some houses sold for lot more some for a lot less. Better than the median sale price city wide which has been at 103-120k since 2001 ! Bear in mind that the total sales per month in Mt Adams is less than 10 homes monthly historically Average prices in Mt Adams now are 1/2 what they were in 2007 at the height of the real estate bubble when the average SOLD was 750K  To say there still were not some sketchy areas in Mt Adams in 2004 ignores the fact there were still homes on the city VBML/condemn list back then. Mt Adams biggest problem right now is the high taxes now that the abatements are running out is hurting sales and may well trigger some foreclosure activity.

 

I am not suggesting that Mt Adams was comparable to Price Hill 10 years ago, what I am saying is it did not look like it looks today. Certainly Price Hill is improving from where it was in 2004 also when the city dumped the poor out of OTR and sent them that way.

Um, Mt. Adams has been completely gentrified since the mid-1980s.  And Price Hill, absolutely without question, has done nothing but deteriorate since 2004.  Everything you assert is completely wrong.  It's all part of your plot to trick people into buying your junk houses in your junk neighborhood, and by the looks up it, it's not working. 

 

 

Um, Mt. Adams has been completely gentrified since the mid-1980s.  And Price Hill, absolutely without question, has done nothing but deteriorate since 2004.  Everything you assert is completely wrong.  It's all part of your plot to trick people into buying your junk houses in your junk neighborhood, and by the looks up it, it's not working. 

 

JM, If you think Mt Adams has been ‘completely gentrified since the mid 1980’s you must be thinking the same thing about OTR already.

 

Are you suggesting ether is some "conspiracy" by Price Hill Will,  Covedale, Riverside, Knox Hill, Sedamsville and Westwood to 'coerce' people into moving there? Are there black helicopters flying around your head as we speak?

 

I know facts are hard thing for some people to digest so Price Hill Will must be “strong=arming” people to buy all the homes they are redoing at 120-140K? They sell them as fast as they redo them.

 

BTW, there is a condo at 542 Davenport in Incline that 'gasp' is on the market at 450K. Or how about the one for sale at 369 Grand for 549K? You better get those realtors committed. And some ‘fool’ bought a place at 408 Grand for 450K! You better get the bank investigated who made that loan. Hmmm doesn't sound like  "complete deterioration" to me"? Sounds like things are getting better. That is not to say there aren't economically depressed areas in Price Hill, but don't insult those trying to make it better.

 

Must be a lot of “stupid people” in OTR too because several of them are restoring in my 'junk' neighborhood. JM, did you know Cathy Frank, the realtor, bought the house across the street from me and is restoring it? I’d love to see you tell her she is “stupid” to her face, that would be very entertaining to watch, particulary watching you climb up off the floor. And then there is that “crazy guy” who bought the Lunken 2 building and is doing artist and photography lofts in part of it...imagine the insanity!

 

Sedamsville made application for national historic district status (what are those people smoking over there)

 

Westwood is routinely selling a fair amount of homes in the 150-300K range, I think that’s respectable for a neighborhood that had the bulk of OTR low income stuffed into apartments in their community after the riots in OTR when the city had to get the bad element out of sight, out of mind.

 

Riverside is developing a comprehensive rail/bike plan... I hear someone is thinking about starting a winery up there.

 

Crazyness everywhere in the 'junk neighborhoods of the West side! Good to know JM that you are 'watching out' for all of us not worshiping at the gods of the streetcar and OTR.

 

Apparently, the problem with moving historic preservation forward in this city and having thoughtful, intelligent conversations about how to do it, is well…the apparent lack of intelligent people to have a conversation with. But that's OK, JM we can "muddle along" just fine on the west side without all your "expertise".

 

 

 

Can we stop attacking people and neighborhoods? Please? I don't want to lock the thread.

I've been talking with a company that built these. They are modular and it sells for 250-350K depending on finishes. It a very cost effective way to do infill.

 

Yuck. These "staritecture" houses are some of the worse of the worst. It's about as nice as this pair in Northside: http://goo.gl/maps/njRek

While the alternative Cincinnati history I'm getting in this thread is certainly entertaining, I really HOPE Price Hill is finally rebounding.

Quimbob, I think Price Hill is doing a great job, they know its not happening overnight but I would say if they keep on the track they are on, they may have turned the corner. Sherman, I agree with you I'm personally not a fan of new urbanist architecture, but when it comes to infill, assuming its strategically placed and not wildly painted, it serves a market place and more importantly make the existing housing stock more viable to restore. That's why we have put a covenant on the deeds on vacant lots,that new construction must be  reviewed by the neighborhood association. Its the best way I know to control what things look like and that's important when you are turning neighborhood around. We are trying to avoid the teardown mentality when lots get more valuable.

That's why we have put a covenant on the deeds on vacant lots,that new construction must be  reviewed by the neighborhood association. Its the best way I know to control what things look like and that's important when you are turning neighborhood around. We are trying to avoid the teardown mentality when lots get more valuable.

 

Have you thought about form-based codes? This could allow the neighborhood to specify a certain density, setback, and other requirements that will meet a common form without messing with the deeds. I would imagine have covenants on the deeds will scare a lot of people away.

I have a problem with form based codes. HUD has been pushing these as way to insert low income housing in areas that would fight them using zoning laws. There is a lot of public info reading on HUDs plans. Having spent the last 5 years getting rid of low income housing and the problems associated with it, I do not want to do that again. Interesting read from HUD and I encourage anyone interested in preserving their neighborhood to do some indepth research:

 

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=sidebysideNOFA.pdf

 

As far as deed restrictions go we put them on our Save not Raze, preservation properties. We take endangered property usually that had been converted illegally to multi family and stabilize it. The house is then resold with a protective deed covenant that requires it remain single family and that the exterior must be maintained to preservation standards. It also governs additions and prohibits teardown except due to catastrophic act. Does it limit our buyers and take longer to sell? Absolutely, but we get responsible buyers who must demonstrate financial responsibility to execute the restoration plan they submit with their offer. It does stop the revolving door slumlords and investor/flipper from getting their hands on it.

 

This is not a new Idea but is based on the highly successful Indiana landmarks program and is similar to a program used by the city of Milwaukee:

 

http://city.milwaukee.gov/HistoricHouses

 

I have been pushing this approach to blight abatement for some time with city leaders but the demo contractor lobby is pretty strong around here

>JM, If you think Mt Adams has been ‘completely gentrified since the mid 1980’s you must be thinking the same thing about OTR already.

 

Excuse me, but as someone who has a Mt. Adams address on his birth certificate, and who still went there almost weekly in the mid-1980s, you are completely and totally wrong.  Quit making stuff up. 

I have a problem with form based codes. HUD has been pushing these as way to insert low income housing in areas that would fight them using zoning laws. There is a lot of public info reading on HUDs plans. Having spent the last 5 years getting rid of low income housing and the problems associated with it, I do not want to do that again. Interesting read from HUD and I encourage anyone interested in preserving their neighborhood to do some indepth research:

 

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=sidebysideNOFA.pdf

 

I disagree with your reasoning for arguing against FBC. It is illegal to deny someone the right to build based on the income of the tenants of the development. Saying you like zoning laws currently because it allows you to fight against low income residents is exactly the problem with zoning laws. They shouldn't be able to be used to keep certain people out of an area. That is a large reason why there is no low income housing in affluent areas of town, because the residents there discriminate and can come up with BS excuses why a development would be bad if a zoning change or variance was given (parking, traffic, etc).

 

If you want these buildings to be preserved, I honestly think FBC would be the best use of your time. You wouldn't have to fight for a deed restriction on every property that goes up for sale. It would simplify the process for anyone who wants to rehab or build new construction in your neighborhood. I realize I'm not going to change your mind, though.

So now RestorationConsultant is buying into the Mary Kuhl conspiracy theory that form-based codes are a way to sneak low-income housing into our neighborhoods? LOL.

No actually Mary  asked me for some of the HUD strategy reports. I have seen first hand how Form based code has been used by HUD. And not to get off topic you can integrate affordable housing in any community if its done right and properly managed. It works very well with senior housing. The problem is Cincinnati has a dismal record  of management of its affordable housing and when the city opened the door after the riots the majority of it was placed on the west side.

 

Why should it be the responsibility of taxpayers to foot the bill for others anyway?

 

Personally I'm investing my time seeing that the seniors who own their homes in my neighborhood (including the elderly couple down the street who bought their home in 1952) have a safe crime free place to live. We did that by eliminating the low income section 8 that surrounded them. I make no apologies for that. They paid 4000 for their home in 1952 by the time the city unleashed Section 8, their home was back down to 4000.00. Now its going back up. Now they can sit on their front porch again without being harassed or watching drug deals in front of their house.

 

I think Indian Hills, Hyde Park and Mt Adams should all embrace form based codes as I'd love to see how they welcome low income into their neighborhoods but it really is time to share the wealth and stop concentrating it in some neighborhoods only.

 

 

No actually Mary  asked me for some of the HUD strategy reports. I have seen first hand how Form based code has been used by HUD. And not to get off topic you can integrate affordable housing in any community if its done right and properly managed. It works very well with senior housing. The problem is Cincinnati has a dismal record  of management of its affordable housing and when the city opened the door after the riots the majority of it was placed on the west side.

um, actually, since the riots, some goofball from Green Township got on the CMHA & started dumping Sec 8 on Hyde Park while keeping it out of Green Township. He was replaced, CMHA was told to even things up they way they were supposed to.

Mary & Melva have been crying about section 8 being forced down their throats but studies of CMHA owned housing have indicated the housing is spread about fairly evenly. When the people of Westwood & Price Hill sold their homes to slumlords more might have moved in but that's not a city issue.

The residents of these west side neighborhoods only have their old neighbors to blame for their plight.

and CMHA is not a city organization...

So affordable housing automatically means subsidized low-income tenements for criminals?  You know that landlords who can rent their apartments at market rates aren't going to bother with Section 8 vouchers.  It's only when the neighborhood has already started going downhill that Section 8 starts to come in, not the other way around.  And besides, there's quite a bit of affordable housing in Hyde Park already, they're just not single-family houses.  It's not hard at all to find an apartment in Hyde Park for under $700 a month, which is quite affordable for the neighborhood, and not at all out of line even with the rest of the city.  These aren't places being rented by riffraff either.  Mt. Adams is a bit too small to find many apartment listings at any one time, but they are there, and they're not outrageous either.  Indian Hill is of course completely segregated by income.  The point though is that there's more than just super rich people and borderline homeless.

Form-based code housing in Nashville.

 

New development on High Street in Columbus is based on form based code. And so is the Arena District, Grandview Heights, Dublin, etc.

 

Form-based codes have done more to protect historic housing and ensure that new construction fits in with historic neighborhoods than any other planning tool used in the last two decades.

 

Just to clarify Cincinnati's FBC, the city was awarded a HUD grant to develop several things. One was a new Comprehensive Plan, the others were the form-based code, a Complete Streets policy and also the Land Development Code, which is currently being drafted. People often forget that HUD stands for Housing and Urban Development, which applies to all levels of housing and cities. Not all of what they do is geared towards housing subsidies for low-income households.

I am happy (and hopeful) that west side neighborhoods are improving, and hope that it continues.  But I can't get behind the idea that to pump up your neighborhood you have to consistently attack others, especially OTR, sorry.

 

And having lived in Cincinnati for 20 years now, I can't honestly remember a time when Mt. Adams wasn't Mt. Adams.  It's a place my Butler County relatives have always felt comfortable going since the 1980s.  I can't say that about a lot of others neighborhoods in the city, sadly.

I know from personal experience because I consult with cities on preservation and planning issues, I have sat in meetings in cities with HUD officials telling city planners they will accept form based code and figure out a way to sell it to their residents, or lose their CDBG funding because HUD wants to see low income in EVERY neighborhood and form based code allows that to happen.

 

I actually work in the real world.

I actually work in the real world.

 

Questionable.

 

You constantly complain about 3CDC's renovations, the streetcar, the Music Hall renovation, downtown grocery stores, form-based codes, and other projects that make Cincinnati's historic neighborhoods more desirable places to live. If you want more people to move into a neighborhood and preserve more historic buildings, you have to make that neighborhood a desirable place to live. It's great that you are preserving a few buildings...but the vast majority of people are not willing to move to a blighted urban neighborhood that doesn't have anything interesting to walk to, no great parks nearby, no cultural amenities nearby, no grocery store, etc.

 

Personally I'm investing my time seeing that the seniors who own their homes in my neighborhood (including the elderly couple down the street who bought their home in 1952) have a safe crime free place to live. We did that by eliminating the low income section 8 that surrounded them.

 

So you complain about low-income housing being pushed over to the west side, but you admit that you're okay with pushing it out of your own neighborhood.

I too know from personal real world experience as I have conducted the process of designing, writing and implementing a form-based code for a city.

 

I think a form-based code would do wonders for rehabilitating the area you call Knox Hill. There's plenty of empty lots and development opportunities there. These are the types of small infill projects form-base code helps make possible without the clunky variance processes typically found in zoning. I also think it will help preserve the historic building stock in the area. Maybe the city would be interested in using form-based codes in the redevelopment of South Fairmount for the Lick Run project?

I certainly hope not for Fairmounts sake (what is left of it). The choice neighborhoods plan wanted to dump low income housing on Queen City at Harrison and I had to threaten to file a federal court case against MSD violating Federal section 106 guidelines to stop that. We didn't need a five story building on Queen city.

 

As for zoning its not a problem we are zoned single family housing and that's ecactly what my neighborhood wants to be.

I think it’s funny that the topic of form based codes has come up in the historic preservation discussion. One of my peeves with FBC is that we are told we need it in order to get desirable density, walkability, urban form, etc. I think it’s ridiculous, and demonstrably so by a quick at the most historic and desirable neighborhoods in Cincinnati. The original historic fabric was built in the absence of such codes, and the current revitalization is taking place without them. All FBC will get us is sterile, The Banks-esque infill. While there are some nuggets we should bite off and add into our current zoning codes, replacing it with FBC will lead to the ultimate vanillazation of Cincinnati.

While there are some nuggets we should bite off and add into our current zoning codes, replacing it with FBC will lead to the ultimate vanillazation of Cincinnati.

Because of the heavy participation by individual neighborhoods?

Form-based code is an attempt to undo segregated-use zoning. Zoning was a genie let out of a bottle. You didn't need form-based code prior to zoning because form-based is the natural order of things. But now in the absence of any code you'll wind up with attempts to put anything anywhere.