CINCINNATI — It’s called the City of Seven Hills for a reason.
No, we're not talking about Rome. About 19% of Cincinnati’s incorporated area consists of hillsides. That's why city officials are introducing the Cincinnati Hillside Initiative, a partnership with land conservation nonprofit Hillside Trust.
According to the city’s website, the initiative will review and update current building and zoning codes and regulations with the hope that future projects are developed safely and responsibly.
"We went through a lot, having to go through a geotechnical survey, get a foundation plan, pier 26 piers to limestone just to build on the hill," said Mount Adams resident Christy Barton.
Learn more about the new initiative and the risks of hillside developments:
Barton and her family built their Mount Adams home back in the early 2000s. She said even back then, there were many rules and regulations they had to follow.
But she says there is always room for improvement.
"I think it’s a great idea," Barton said. "I think they need to be strict about how much they’re building and how well, what it’s gonna do to the hillside."
With the new initiative, one of the city’s main goals is to address the risks of living on a hillside, such as landslides, something those in hillside neighborhoods know a lot about.
Roger Dean also lives in Mount Adams. He was present when a 2017 landslide happened and damaged two homes on his street.
"Basically, the walls fell over, the hill fell down, took the backs of the houses down here," said Dean.
Dean said the developers of his and his neighbors' properties were negligentwhen building, which is why there was severe damage, leaving him to see firsthand the consequences of when hillside structures are not properly built.
"The walls that were supposed to be built to hold the hillside weren’t built," said Dean.
While landslides are the largest risk for those living on hillsides, they’re not the only risk. As the hill and dirt move, so can structures.
Barton said her patio, which was built years after the house, began to sink into the ground two separate times. She said they have had to pump foam into the underside of it to keep it flat.
With the struggles of building and living on the hillside, we asked Barton and Dean what they hope to see from the new initiative.
"Just keeping it stable and safe for everyone," said Barton.
Dean said he also hopes it improves the community, but is a bit more skeptical.
"It feels like, again, just more bureaucracy to take care of the obvious," said Dean.
The Hillside Initiative will host two public engagement sessions to hear input from the community.
The first will be in person from 6-7 p.m. on May 7 at the Price Hill Recreation Center. The second will be on Zoom from 6-7:30 p.m. May 20.
There is also a public survey available to anyone who wants to share their feedback or recommendations.
