EDC to consider Westwood downzoning

Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider today the downzoning of several Westwood properties.

In an attempt to lower the number of high-intensity, multi-family properties that historically have been nuisances for the neighborhood, the Westwood Civic Association (WCA) requested that City-owned properties at 2600 and 2163 Harrison Avenue and 2722-2728 Faber Avenue be downzoned to single-family use.

Jim McNulty, President of the WCA, says that Westwood currently has 10,000 multi-family units and is working to achieve a better housing balance, with a goal of 60 percent homeownership.

The WCA recommended SF-4 Single-Family for 2163 Harrison Avenue, which allows for minimum lot sizes of 4,000 square feet (0.09 acre). The other properties were recommended for SF-6 Single-Family, with 6,000-square-foot minimum lot sizes (0.14 acre).

All of the properties abut existing single-family districts except for 2600 Harrison Ave, which is the only one not recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission because it would result in "spot zoning".

Because spot zoning goes against the City Planning Commission's standard practices, rezoning on that property is dead and will never come to a vote.

These properties were previously occupied by apartment buildings that were vacated, acquired and demolished by the City.

The WCA is also looking into establishing a land bank to help them rebuild the neighborhood one house at a time.