Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) will hold a special meeting on Monday, March 17 regarding extension of the Clifton Avenue bicycle lanes from Ludlow Avenue to Bryant Avenue. This extension would provide a means by which riders could travel safely from most of Clifton to the existing bicycle lanes that extend from Ludlow to the University of Cincinnati. The meeting will be held from 7:00-8:30 pm at the Clifton Recreation Center.
The bike lane extension was a recommendation from the City of Department of Transportation & Engineering (DOTE) to slow down traffic and improve safety at the Clifton and Ludlow intersection. Traffic slows down because one lane of traffic is replaced with a bike lane. In June of 2024, CTM voted to allow the City to proceed with a bike lane from Ludlow to Bryant. The special meeting will provide additional background and will explain diagrams of two options that are being considered. These options are not “ready for construction”. They are concepts with some detail for discussion.
Option 1 “Telford option” – Northbound bike lane on Clifton, Southbound on Telford
Option 2 “2 way option” – 2 way bike lane on Clifton Ave
The public is welcome to attend. Public input on CTM agenda items will be heard after Trustee discussion is complete. Community members wishing to address the Board on an agenda item should sign up to speak at least 24 hours before start of the meeting by completing this Google form or with an email request directed to the president at contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. Individual input on agenda items will last no more than two minutes.
Community members may speak on non-agenda issues during the public questions and concerns period at the end of the meeting. Individuals with statements are asked to sign in before the start of the meeting. Such statements should last not more than two minutes and are invited during the public questions and concerns period. Email your request to speak (specify the topic), or to request an agenda item at the next meeting to contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org.
Move to add $2500 for Cliftonfest and, for Clifton Soccer, add $5000 in expenses and $2000 in income
2
Justin Ogilby
Motion to eliminate 2 parking spaces to enable turning from Wood to Middleton
3
Justin Ogilby
Move that DOTE install the Clifton Ave Ludlow to Bryant bike lane extension using standard materials.
4
Ben Pantoja
This motion requests approval for CTM President to send a letter, included in the motion, to City of Cincinnati officials regarding the Hyde Park planned development.
Imagine what Clifton would be like with a Wendy’s in the middle of its business district, instead of the Esquire Theatre.
As part of the development of a new neighborhood plan for Clifton, the feasibility of establishing one or more historic districts in Clifton is currently being studied. Neighborhood volunteers will conduct research and organize the designation process. Residents will have the opportunity to learn about this initiative, provide comments, and participate throughout the process.
Why is this issue of concern? Clifton’s quality of life results from several interconnected components, including its historical character. Protecting our historical character has always been part of a common vision of our residents. We all remember the neighborhood fight against demolishing the Esquire Theatre going all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, the saving of Clifton Market, the elegant repurposing of Gaslight Bar and Grille and Ludlow Garage, to name just a few. The preservation of the historical character of the neighborhood does not happen by chance, it happens with dedicated and focused effort. Many structures would have vanished without local citizens’ efforts to preserve our heritage. Market forces and new codes often favor the demolition of solid buildings and their replacement with denser, cheaper-looking ones. Recent rezoning in Clifton now allows four-family buildings to be built in formerly single-family zones in an area covering most of the neighborhood south of McAlpin. This could lead to developers acquiring and demolishing buildings to put up new denser housing. This is one reason to consider establishing historic districts which generally prevent demolition of sound historic buildings
Establishing historic district(s) is a long process involving the Historic Conservation Board, City Planning Commission, and City Council.
Note that historic districts:
Do not require renovation of property
Do not affect the interiors of buildings
Do not control paint color
Do require that exterior changes are compatible with the architectural and historic character of buildings
Do require new buildings to be compatible with the architecture of the neighborhood
Please participate in our survey to help us gauge the interest of our neighbors in the subject.Click here to take the survey.
See the existing map of Cultural and Historic resources in Clifton below. The map is a little old but a good overview of Clifton.
DRAFT PROCESS (subject to be modified)
Gauge interest on the issue: Conduct a broad survey using email, social media posting and physical posting in the Business District (this form is helping that task) – February & March 2025.
Information dissemination: Hold a public meeting to explain historic designation and further gauge support – March 2025.
Research: Volunteers review prior research, map historic properties, and identify structures – April & May 2025.
Second Public Meeting: Present research results, review maps, discuss district boundaries, and explain guidelines with examples – May 2025.
Evaluation: Assess meeting results and develop historic district boundary options – May 2025
Third Public Meeting: Present proposed boundaries, gauge interest, and determine necessary alterations – June 2025
Guideline Development: Draft guidelines and write architectural and historic narratives for potential districts – July 2025
Fourth Public Meeting: Discuss guidelines and boundaries to decide on proceeding with the process – August 2025
The public is welcome to attend. Public input on CTM agenda items will be heard after Trustee discussion is complete. Community members wishing to address the Board on an agenda item should sign up to speak at least 24 hours before start of the meeting by completing this Google form or with an email request directed to the president at contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. Individual input on agenda items will last no more than two minutes.
Community members may speak on non-agenda issues during the public questions and concerns period at the end of the meeting. Individuals with statements are asked to sign in before the start of the meeting. Such statements should last not more than two minutes and are invited during the public questions and concerns period. Email your request to speak (specify the topic), or to request an agenda item at the next meeting to contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org.
Your Community Council (CTM) has a lot of opportunities for volunteering, including participating in its various committees. To volunteer start by taking our committees interest survey. We will contact you about your interests. Thank you!
