Anyone looking for more frequent updates and if you are on Facebook I encourage you to join the Springdale Community Group. Feel free to tag me in any questions over there too, I try to keep up with it as much as possible.
As for recent meetings, there are two items I wanted to highlight:
- Urban Farming
- Business Highlights
Urban Farming Update
This past summer, City Council formed a working committee to investigate our City’s and surrounding community rules around Urban Farming – this includes activities like small scale backyard chicken keeping, bee keeping, and similar. I wrote more on this in previous posts.
Many local communities already have permissive laws in place for this including: Cincinnati, Dayton, Glendale, Wyoming, Sharonville, and Montgomery.
Springdale local laws already permit it in principle, however the way the laws are written – which include lot sizes larger than any residential lot currently in Springdale means they are in practice not permitted.
The committee investigated regulations in other jurisdictions and completed a community survey to gather opinions on keeping chickens. After many meetings and collaboration with community members as well as elected officials and City Administration the committee recommended revisions to the existing language in the code of ordinances to the full City Council.
While City Council ultimately is accountable for the code, the process for change requires Planning Commission review and make a recommendation on the proposal. The Planning Commission at their November 12, 2024 meeting voted to deny the amendments as presented – citing concerns about general preference against any urban farming in our community as well as concerns about implementation – such as wanting larger setbacks and more definitions around what is a coop and a variety of additional updates they felt should be included (despite this level of detail not being required for current chicken keeping, or any other animal keeping).
The reviewed proposal:
- Added language to clarify that “hens” refers to female chickens and use the term “hen”
- Increase the minimum lot size from one-quarter (1/4) acre to one-half (1/2) acre
- Add language to clarify that hens may only be raised or kept in the rear yard area by fencing within a run or coop
- Reduce the number of permits that may be issued at any given time from fifty (50) to twenty-five (25).
The proposed ordinance returned to Council for a second reading in December and the new amendments outlined above were presented and discussed and a public hearing and vote occurred in January and the the was 4-3 supporting the change. However because the zoning change did not have Planning Commission’s positive recommendation the change was not implemented – the change required 5 votes to pass.
If this type of hobby or homesteading is something you want to have or want to ensure does not come back up in the near term in Springdale I encourage you to contact your Council members (contacts below) or with the upcoming District level Council elections this fall let the folks running for office know.
Business Highlights
Springdale continues to work to encourage new and support existing businesses in the City. Keep in mind payroll / income tax makes up upwards of ~85% percent of revenue the City uses to provide services. Highlighting a few businesses City Council worked with that are now public to bring in or retain here with various outreach and incentives included:
- G5 Entertainment, LLC (Slick City Action Parks) is a growing franchise of slide focused family entertainment centers with six locations outside of Ohio and 17
locations under construction. The Cincinnati regional franchisee is considering
leasing the former Sam Ash music store space at 11805 Commons Drive as the
first Slick City location in this region. This expands a growing ‘entertainment hub’ with neighboring businesses Dave and Busters, Sky Zone, and Full Throttle.
- Salas O’Brien, Inc. is an existing Springdale business, formerly known as the Plus
Group, provides architectural, engineering, and professional process automation services. The company is proposing to sign a new long-term lease to remain in Springdale at its current location on Merchant Street committing to retain its 70 employees with a total annual payroll over $8 million. - Mitchell’s Salon & Day Spa’s Springdale location has a lease expires in June 2025. The company has committed to a long-term lease renewal, invest over $1 million to completely renovate the interior, which is one of the oldest Mitchell’s locations and retain its 52 existing employees with a total annual payroll over $1.5 million and adding eight additional employees by 2029.
If I can answer any questions just drop me a line or tag me on Facebook in the Springdale Community Group!
What do you think? Let your elected officials know!
email and phone numbers of all your City Council members are online – https://www.springdale.org/city-council/page/meet-your-city-council
and
City Administration as well –
https://www.springdale.org/mayor-clerk-council
or
Connect with your Neighbors –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/333111242219243
Related Links
Past Minutes and Agendas: https://www.springdale.org/meetings/recent
Upcoming meetings: https://www.springdale.org/meetings
Request Public Records: https://www.springdale.org/living-springdale/page/public-records-access