City Planning and Engagement

All standards and procedures for City Planning Commission meetings are outlined in the City Planning Commission Rules linked below. If you would like to participate in or view an upcoming hearing, please carefully review the instructions. A summary has been provided in the following sections. For any questions, please email planning@cincinnati-oh.gov.

View the City Planning Commission Rules

 

Attendance

All City Planning Commission meetings are held in-person with a virtual option. On occasion, a meeting may be held entirely virtual when the agenda is brief. These instances, as well as meeting cancellations and other updates, are announced on our social media and sent via email to our mailing list.

In Person

Meetings are hosted in-person in Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall at 801 Plum Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Registration to attend in-person is encouraged but not required. Attendees are advised to arrive early to provide adequate time to pass through security.
 

Virtual

Attendance via Zoom is an option for those wishing to speak virtually. Zoom is a web-based video-conference tool and does not require you to download any software. This technology works on multiple devices, including desktop/laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones, as long as the device has video and microphone capabilities.  It is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with this technology and test your device’s capabilities before logging into a public hearing. Visit the Zoom website prior to the actual hearing to practice a test meeting at https://zoom.us/test. In the event of any technical difficulties or unforeseen circumstances, the City Planning Commission reserves the right to continue or postpone items at its discretion.

To register for virtual attendance, email planning@cincinnati-oh.gov or the staff person associated with the item no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. If you fail to register in advance, you may be unable to join the virtual meeting. Please include the name of the item you wish to speak about in your email. After registering, your name will be added to the RSVP list for the meeting, and an email with the link and instructions to join will be sent out the day before the meeting.
 

Streaming

Virtual attendance is intended for those who wish to speak publicly on record to the Commission about an item. If you only wish to watch the meeting and do not intend to speak, all meetings are broadcast live on CitiCable and can be watched in real time. To livestream CitiCable, click the link below.

Stream CitiCable Online

 

Agenda

The City Planning Commission Agenda is split into a Consent Agenda and a Discussion Agenda. The Consent Agenda typically includes items of minor consideration. Items on the Consent Agenda are not presented or discussed during the meeting, and are approved as a group at the beginning. The Discussion Agenda typically includes items of complex or major consideration. Items on the Discussion Agenda are presented and discussed individually, including an opportunity for the applicant and members of the public to speak and answer questions from the Commissioners. The Chair may move items from the Consent Agenda to the Discussion Agenda during the meeting if appropriate, often occurring when members of the public sign up to speak about the item.

Meeting Agendas are listed on the first page of the meeting Packets, which are posted on our website here. Packets are posted one week in advance of the meeting. Items are addressed in the order provided by the Agenda, unless the Chair determines otherwise.
 

Item Procedures

Each item is considered as either a Legislative or Quasi-Judicial matter. Different item-types have different procedures during the meeting. Please view the meeting Agenda to identify what type of item you are interested in, then closely review the sections for the item-type below.
 

Legislative Items

• The Chair will call upon staff from the Department of City Planning and Engagement to present on the item, followed by an opportunity for questions from the Commissioners.

• The Chair will then call upon the applicant to make a presentation or statement, followed by an opportunity to respond to questions from the Commissioners.

• Members of the public will then be called on individually by the Chair to speak. If a group of affiliated persons speaks on an item, the Chair may request that one spokesperson from the group address the Commission.

• All speakers, including applicants, are limited to a time of three (3) minutes per person.

• The Chair will then entertain discussion among the Commission members, including any requests by a Commissioner to ask questions of any person who has spoken, followed by a motion and roll-call vote.

• Legislative items will go to a City Council subcommittee for a public hearing after Planning Commission, unless the item was held to return to the Commission at a later date. These items are typically heard at the Equitable Growth and Housing Committee. After the subcommittee hearing, a final vote will be taken at the full Council meeting on the following day. Agendas for City Council and its subcommittees can be found here.
   

Quasi-Judicial Items

• The Chair will call upon staff from the Department of City Planning and Engagement to present on the item, followed by an opportunity for questions from the Commissioners.

• All speakers providing testimony for quasi-judicial items must be sworn in by a city solicitor prior to speaking. Zoom participants must have their camera on for this requirement.

• The Chair will call upon the applicant to present their position, argument, and examination and cross-examination of witnesses. The Chair may limit the applicant's presentation to the matters relevant to the application.

• The chair will then call upon any directly affected persons to speak, present their position, and present evidence relevant to the application. If a group of affiliated persons speaks on an item, the Chair may request that one spokesperson from the group address the Commission.

• All speakers, including applicants, are limited to speak for a reasonable duration of time as determined by the Chair. The Chair reserves the right to request speakers conclude their testimony at the Chair's discretion.

• The applicant is then provided the right to a rebuttal. This is followed by deliberation among the Commissioners, a motion, and roll-call vote.

• Quasi-Judicial items are under the purview of the City Planning Commission and do not move on to a final vote from City Council.
   

Special accessibility accommodations to attend or participate in any meeting are available. Individuals requiring these accommodations should contact the Department of City Planning and Engagement prior to the meeting day to adequately arrange.

 

Written Comment

The City Planning Commission will accept written comment or statements from the public related to an item on the Agenda. Written comment received no later than 10 days in advance of the meeting will be included in the staff report. Written comment received after this time will be provided to the Commissioners the day before the meeting. All written comment should be submitted no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  If you fail to submit your comments before that time, you risk the possibility that your comments do not reach the Commissioners. All written comments are public record. To submit written comment, email planning@cincinnati-oh.gov or the staff person associated with the item. Please include the name of the item you are writing about in your email.

 

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