Michael Cappel, the new president of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC), says that short-term financing is necessary to keep the mostly volunteer group's paid director, Marty Weldishofer.

Cappel says that, because funding for the paid position has been exhausted and additional funds aren't available to CHCURC at this time, a goal of $25,000 has been set to continue to fund Weldishofer's salary.

Weldishofer has been CHCURC's paid director since 2004, and has worked full-time for the neighborhood since 2006.

Cappel says that the director's position was created to supplement the work of the volunteers with daily, dedicated attention.

In support of the director, Cappel points to the following completed and pending projects on Weldishofer's watch:

* Linden Park East, a $12 million mixed-use development that should break ground this year at the corner of
* $1.6 million in streetscape improvements
* $600,000 in building façade improvements
* A $179,000 gateway project for the north and south entrances of Hamilton Avenue
* $30,000 for welcome and wayfinding signage

So far, Weldishofer's salary has been paid through donations, fundraisers, and grants from the City of Cincinnati.

CHCURC is planning fundraisers for later this year - a major fundraiser will be held at Laurel Court on June 27, and the College Hill 5K Rhythm Race will be held September 20.

Previous reading on BC:
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/4/07)

Cincinnati City Council has passed a resolution declaring its intent to purchase a West Price Hill home for the expansion of Fire Station 24.

Fire Station 24, which was built in 1939, has half of the amount of living quarters, office areas and support space required of a modern fire station.

The station houses Engine 24, Ladder 24 and Rescue 24 of the Cincinnati Fire Department.

A single-family house, built in 1896, sits on the adjacent 0.181 acres at (BIRD'S EYE) and belongs to an out-of-town owner, who is delinquent on her property taxes by nearly $6,000.

It has been used as rental property since it went on the market in 2001, and the offering price has dropped from $80,000 to $30,000.

No concrete plans for the expanded firehouse have been released.

Photo credit: CFDHistory.com

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati may purchase Glenway home for fire expansion (4/16/08)

Here are a few smaller projects going on up on Mount Adams.

Please click on each image to enlarge to 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.

(BIRD'S EYE) looks exactly the same as it did in November. The sidewalk is ripped up, the Tyvek is starting to peel away, and there's no sign that there's going to be any activity any time soon.



This former multi-family property at (BIRD'S EYE) is being converted into a single-family of over 2,000 square feet.


The Elite near (BIRD'S EYE) also looks exactly the same. Until the residential real estate market picks up, more action is unlikely.


Previous reading on BC:
Random project photos, 11/20/07 (11/28/07)
375 Oregon photo update, 11/20/07 (11/26/07)
Elite photo update, 9/28/07 (10/2/07)

City Talk Radio returns to the airwaves this Sunday with a discussion of the Cincinnati streetcar proposal.

"Streetcars in Cincinnati: Is it really going to happen?" will feature as guests Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Bortz and Brad Thomas, founder of cincystreetcar.com.

Michael Sweeney and Tom Hodges are the hosts for the program, which airs Sunday evenings from 7 PM to 8 PM on 55KRC.

3065 Percy Ave, Westwood
Single-family
DOB: 1907
Died: May 2008
Cause of death: A cracked foundation, a failing roof, a crumbling chimney, a deteriorating porch and structural damage caused by water. It was condemned in September 2006 and declared a public nuisance in August 2007. Some remediation was done without getting a stay of demolition, but the quality of the work was poor. Apparently, the California-based owner got tired of it and razed it privately.

One year ago today, Fox Hills Development announced changes to the site plan for Phase 8 of the Aston Woods development in Miami Township, Hamilton County, calling for 32 units in 7 buildings instead of 11 detached single-family homes.

The Hale Justis Lofts, one of the first residential projects in the area now being marketed as the Gateway Quarter, may soon be converted into condominiums.

On May 21, an emergency ordinance was presented before Cincinnati City Council that would allow the City to sell the property at (BIRD'S EYE) to Hale Justis, LLC (City Center Properties) for $50,200, the negotiated sale price.

In 1999, the two parties entered into a lease agreement for the developers to convert the former pharmaceutical wholesaling building into 30 apartment units, with the understanding that it would eventually be turned into condominiums.

Hale Justis, LLC was given the right of first refusal on any sale of the Over-the-Rhine properties, and has petitioned to exercise its purchase option.

The ordinance will likely be heard before council's Economic Development Committee June 2, though the meeting agenda is not yet available.

Apartments in Hale Justis are between 1,000 and 1,525 square feet and start at $750 per month, plus a parking fee.

Photo credit: Hale Justis Lofts

According to Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr., the City's code enforcement inspectors are being hit with 53 new cases a month, but were only able to abate half of their cases in 2007.

Dohoney's report to City Council was in response to a letter written by Madisonville Community Council president Robert Mendlein to Dohoney, council, and Mayor Mark Mallory stating that the consensus in his neighborhood was that the City's property and building code enforcement program doesn't meet the neighborhood's needs.

Mendlein questioned if these repeated calls, inspections, and cash layouts are the best use of the City's dollars and manpower, adding that there was stark evidence that "the current enforcement program provides insufficient motivation to comply with property, building, and quality of life ordinances".

Though the City's Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Division currently has 21 inspectors, only 19 perform regular code enforcement activities in the field.

Annually, each inspector is assigned an average of 637 cases.

"Each available field inspector handling 637 new cases each year, or 53 new cases per month, results in a backlog that tends to increase each year," Dohoney wrote in the report. "In addition...each time a property is sold, it is necessary to re-issue the orders and prosecute a new owner."

He estimates that the number of hours required by inspectors to maintain their caseloads is approximately 31 percent more time than each inspector has to devote to enforcement.

"Compliance is more difficult in times of depressed economy and housing market," Dohoney wrote.

Dohoney says that 273 cases were filed in Housing Court last year, a massive increase in an already strained system.

"This number of filings is nearly double the annual average for the last 10 years," Dohoney wrote.

Additionally, 254 civil fines were levied, resulting in the collection of $48,000. (Through the first quarter of 2008, $32,000 in civil fines has been collected.)

And $243,000 was collected through Vacant Building Maintenance License fees, 90 buildings were demolished, and 487 open and vacant buildings were barricaded.


EZ-trak not so EZ

Mendlein also said that his neighborhood's ability to track enforcement cases is extremely limited by the EZ-trak system, which only gives sporadic summary information, and he asked the City to perform an annual statistical analysis of its code enforcement database that would be available to the public.

Dohoney addressed some of Mendlein's questions in his report:

* Only 59 percent of code enforcement cases in 2007 were found to have merit, leading to the issuance of orders.
* The average number of working days between the receipt of a complaint and a field inspection was nine days.
* The average number of working days between a field inspection and the issuance of orders was five days.
* The overall average time allowed in "order to comply" letters is 45 days, though 30 days is more typical.
* The average number of days between a compliance due date and the next enforcement action is 51 days.

Dohoney did not address the establishment of a better database.


How the enforcement process works

In his report, Dohoney breaks down the code enforcement process.

"The enforcement process is designed to safeguard the citizens' right to due process and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure while moving cases toward voluntary compliance or through enforcement," he wrote. "However, there are provisions for immediate action when necessary to protect the public health."

Dohoney says that a typical case begins with the case being assigned to an inspector, who contacts the owner to make an appointment to inspect the property.

If the inspector finds code violations, a notice is issued to the owner specifying a reasonable period to achieve compliance, usually 30 days.

If the owner does not acknowledge the receipt of the notice, the inspector posts a copy on the property.

Once the compliance period expires, the property is re-inspected.

If the owner has failed to comply with the orders, or has made no effort to do so, a pre-prosecution hearing is scheduled.

"A pre-prosecution hearing is a 'show cause hearing' at which the owner meets with the inspector and supervisor to show cause why the City should not prosecute the owner," Dohoney wrote.

At the hearing, an extension may be granted, or, if the owner cannot show cause or fails to attend the hearing, the case is prepared for prosecution.

Dohoney says that, in cases of serious risk to public safety or willful disregard for violations, the case can be referred to the City Prosecutor for consideration of criminal charges - on average, this is 96 days from compliance due date.

First-time criminal offenders in Housing Court are typically placed on probation, fined, and/or entered into a diversion or compliance program.

If a criminal case is not filed, the area supervisor reviews the case and can file a civil citation.

The case's inspector is required to attend all criminal cases, and, at the owner's request, must attend any civil cases where fines may be levied.

Previous reading on BC:
Code enforcement seen as ineffective by Madisonville (4/10/08)

Masonry and siding work is mostly completed at the Palisades of Mount Adams, and some windows have been installed.

Unfortunately, the interior remains concrete floors and metal studs, lacking mechanicals.

Rumors around the neighborhood are that this project is stalled and that the building is likely to look like this for months to come.

Vail Terra Properties and architect John Senhauser are teaming up on the 10-unit project along Baum, Kilgour and Oregon streets in Mount Adams.

Please click on each image to enlarge to 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.











Previous reading on BC:
Palisades of Mount Adams photo update, 11/20/07 (11/27/07)
Palisades of Mount Adams photo update, 9/18/07 (9/20/07)
Palisades luxury condos hit market (9/13/07)
The Palisades of Mount Adams (4/22/07)

Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. says that walkability will be one of the factors considered when determining whether to sell or lease public rights-of-way.

Dohoney provided a report to City Council on a March motion from councilmembers Roxanne Qualls and Chris Bortz that asked that all public rights-of-way, including alleys, be preserved and that all contracts contain a reverter clause allowing the City to regain ownership if needed.

"Walkability measures the pedestrian-friendliness of a neighborhood," Dohoney wrote. "Two main components in creating walkable communities are accessibility - the ability to reach desired destinations such as goods, services, and activities - and safety."

Dohoney says that creating a walkable urban environment increases the sense of community, reduces crime by putting eyes on the street, increases property values, and creates opportunities for social interaction, economic development, and good health.

According the the Cincinnati Municipal Code, public rights-of-way may only be sold or leased only if it isn't needed for municipal purposes.

Dohoney advises that the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering and Department of City Planning should look at a sale's impact on walkability during its coordinated report process, which determines if a property is needed for municipal purposes.

"If any department determines that the sale of rights-of-way, including alleys, would negatively impact a neighborhoods' walkability, a reverter clause should be included with the sale of property that would allow the City to regain ownership if needed," he said.

Six ordinances allowing the sale of public alleys have been passed by council in the last two years.

Photo credit: "Alleys are life, embodied" by user

Previous reading on BC:
Qualls, Bortz want public rights-of-way preserved (4/30/08)

2940 Van Dyke Dr, Mount Lookout
Single-family
DOB: 1920
Died: May 2008
Cause of death: Gutted by fire last fall. The owner contracted to have the house demolished, and it will be the site of a new single-family house by John Hueber Homes.

One year ago today, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee had scheduled a public hearing to consider creating a planned development district for the redevelopment of the former NuTone site in Madisonville, a project that has since fallen through.

A new single-family development in the East End broke ground in a ceremony yesterday afternoon.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory was on hand with Mark Kalb of developer Revolution Properties to turn shovels on the $12 million Corbin Park, a 22-unit project at (BIRD'S EYE).

Phase one will include 11 fully-customizable homes of between 3,000 and 3,500 square feet, starting at $595,000.

Construction on the model is expected to begin within the next one to two weeks.

Mallory spoke of his father's affiliation with the local Methodist church*, and his mother's expression of fondness for the area upon hearing of the groundbreaking.

"I told my mother that if it's important to her, it's important to me," Mallory said.

Andy Holzhauser of the Columbia Tusculum Community Development Corporation gave a brief speech on other development going on in the area, including Neyer's Columbia Square mixed-use project, the Ohio River Bike Trail, streetscaping on Stanley Avenue and the re-use of the old Cricket store for a metal fabrication art gallery.

Revolution Properties already has ownership of 2.1 adjacent acres for the 11-home second phase.

The homes are being sold through Huff Realty.

* The former Phillips Chapel CME Church at 260 Corbin Street was demolished in 2006.

Previous reading on BC:
Corbin Park has new website (2/13/08)
Corbin Park photo update, 1/9/08 (1/10/08)
Corbin Park hits the market (10/24/07)
East End: Corbin Park (2/7/07)

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance that could extend the City's lease with Cincinnati Bulk Terminals until 2036.

UK-based Vertus Technologies, Ltd. plans to use the Queensgate site to ship more than 100,000 tons of cleaner, processed coal each year.

Earlier this month, Vertus signed a 25-year deal with Cincinnati Bulk Terminals to help the company handle the raw coal and then to ship the clean coal fuels throughout the region.

The company's technology heats coal without oxygen to remove 99 percent of its sulfur content, and removes and recycles 99 percent of its mercury content.

Ohio's high-sulfur coal, which produces heavy sulfur dioxide emissions when burned, has historically put the state at an economic disadvantage.

The operation will require the construction of one or more new warehouse facilities of at least 12,000 square feet on the site.

The company plans to start with seven employees and to grow to between 25 and 30 people within the next five years.

The Queensgate site will be Vertus' first U.S production facility.

Cincinnati Bulk Terminals' lease does not expire until 2011.

They have leased the property (BIRD'S EYE) since 1988 and have been operating multi-modal coal facilities since 1882.

The ordinance to extend the lease has not been placed on council's Economic Development Committee agenda.