City council committee votes in favor of new parking plan for North OTR [Video]

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The Cincinnati City Council’s Equitable Growth and Housing Committee unanimously voted in favor of a new plan to reconfigure 829 parking spaces in North Over-The-Rhine.

The North Curb Parking Plan, presented by the city in February, calls for 213 residential pass-only spaces, 271 “flex” parking spaces, and 340 paid parking spaces.

“We want more residents to live downtown so that’s great,” Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney says. “Some residents have cars. I think it’s not realistic to say that no one can own a car.”

Kearney explains that the city wants businesses to thrive and that customers need parking to visit said businesses.

“If we lose parking, I cannot continue to push this ball forward as a business,” Northern Road Brewery owner Dave Brewer says.

According to the city, one compromise is to utilize two parking garages in the area, including the Findlay Market garage, which Hamilton County owns.

The city says …