COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP — Madison Place neighbors are fighting a zoning change to turn a lot with four houses into parking for a luxury car dealer.
The community group People Over Porsches opposes the zoning change that allows a 76-space expansion of the lot on Cambridge Avenue. Porsche of the Village, Alfa Romeo/Maserati of Cincinnati and Volvo Cars Cincinnati East use that lot.
Dan Bryant, a resident and member of People Over Porsches, said the lot expansion would affect the whole community.
“To have a 76-space parking lot inserted right into a residential street would dramatically impact the aesthetics of the neighborhood,” Bryant said. “It would affect the quality of life. It would just affect people’s perceptions of the community in which they live.”
The dealerships’ investor wants the land rezoned from residential to commercial use, and Columbia Township Administrator Mike Lemon said the neighborhood already greenlit that flexibility.
“We now have this group that opposes that zoning change, and opposed to the land use plan that we’ve got that’s been in existence for 14 years,” Lemon told WCPO.
Lemon said a 2005 land-use plan from residents and the township agreed that land can be used for whatever direction both groups feel the area is going in. Now, People Over Porsches are making it clear they don’t want the land to go commercial.
“In order to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs,” Bryant said. “Well, there’s a lot of eggs in this community that didn’t appreciate that comment at all.”
Demolition has already begun on the site of the now-vacant houses. Now, there are two houses left.
Though the lot has almost been cleared, there is still a meeting and public hearing on the matter set for next month.
“The question is, when is this going to stop?” Bryant asked.
WCPO reached out to the general manager of Porsche of the Village for comment but did not hear back Tuesday.
The next public hearing on the matter is at the Hamilton County Rural Planning Commission meeting Aug. 8 at 1 p.m. at 138 E. Court St.
