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Council rejects temporary notwithstanding ordinance for 964-space lot at 515 Water Street
Summary
After extended debate over tailgating, riverfront planning and long‑term vision for the Banks, Cincinnati City Council voted down a temporary notwithstanding ordinance to allow a roughly 964‑space surface parking lot at the former Hilltop Concrete site at 515 Water Street.
Cincinnati City Council declined to adopt a temporary notwithstanding ordinance that would have allowed the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners to install an approximately 964‑space surface parking lot on an 18‑acre parcel at 515 Water Street, a site the county purchased after the Hilltop Concrete plant relocated in 2025.
The administration’s staff recommended conditional approval limited to a temporary use expiring March 1, 2026, to allow time for an update to the Banks master plan. City Planning Commission had recommended approval on June 6 by a vote of 5–0 with two members recused, but council members split over whether a temporary parking lot would pre‑empt a longer‑term riverfront vision.
Planning staffer Andrew Hall summarized the proposal and the recommendation: "We recommend conditional approval of a temporary parking lot as long as it expires on 03/01/2026," he said, noting the planning department does not support permanent notwithstanding ordinances. The applicant proposed a surface lot…
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