Residents and Hyde Park School parents urged the Cincinnati Public Schools board and City Council members to press City Council to slow or study a proposed zoning change for the Hyde Park Square development, saying the plan could worsen traffic and pedestrian risks for the school.

Speakers during the meeting’s public-comment period described multiple vehicle collisions near Hyde Park School and said construction and a proposed hotel component could increase congestion during student drop-off and pick-up times. Les Castro, a civil engineer, said the family has lived across the street from Hyde Park School for seven years and has seen “cars race to get around the school” at arrival and dismissal.

"We've seen a 7‑year‑old suffer a broken leg from being hit by a car," Les Castro said. His wife, Amy Castro, described three separate crashes that struck legally parked vehicles near their house and said one crash on Jan. 22, 2023, caused $12,000 in damage.

Mona Jenkins, who presented a survey of Hyde Park School parents and faculty, told the board 90% of respondents are concerned about traffic now, 94% are very concerned about traffic during the next two to three years of construction and 95% want the district to ask City Council to slow the process and conduct a study with parent input.

School and city staff described preliminary steps taken to assess safety. Chief Operations Officer Chris Burkhart said the developer provided a traffic impact study; the city’s Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) reviewed that study and provided a letter and a conceptual map showing a proposed on-site pick‑up and drop‑off plan that would double‑queue cars inside the school parking lot rather than on Edwards Road. Burkhart said the developer told CPS that the drawing is a concept and that developers are willing to work with the district on mitigation, including help with paving or site layout as requested.

Burkhart also said DOTE’s review did not recommend removing existing on‑street parking along Edwards Road and that DOT had proposed temporarily restricting five to six parking spaces along the school property during midday hours (12 p.m.–3 p.m.) to help reduce congestion while the parties refine designs.

Board members and councilmembers pressed for more engagement. Several asked whether the principal, school staff, neighborhood representatives, CPS and the developer can meet on site to test pick‑up patterns and produce alternate options; Burkhart said the proposal shown is a concept and that on‑site testing will be possible now that weather permits.

Board members noted the principal has already provided concerns and asked that the district keep discussions open. Vice Mayor Kearney and other officials said the item is scheduled for review next week: equitable-housing-and-growth committee on April 22 and City Council consideration on April 23, though those dates were presented as the committee’s current schedule and could change.

No formal board action or vote was recorded at the meeting. Speakers requested additional community meetings, a traffic plan that includes the principal and families, and greater outreach to address pedestrian safety near the school.