Saturday, November 06, 1999
Hillsides closely guarded
Cincinnati prone to landslides
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Greater Cincinnati's chiseled hillsides and winding valleys were slowly sculpted as three glaciers crept across the region during the Ice Age. Beautiful hillsides have defined this area ever since. But that beauty comes with a price:
Greater Cincinnati ranks along with the California coast among the areas most prone to landslides in this country. That's because a soft shale covers the foundation of bedrock from which hillsides rise. It's the shale that, when disrupted, can begin tumbling downhill.
Today, the nonprofit Hillside Trust is trying to make sure the area does not define the hillsides with development, and that development does not cause unnecessary risk of landslides.
“A lot of builders will excavate into hillside because that gets them into bedrock,” said Tom Algeo, associate professor of environmental geology at the University of Cincinnati.
“But that's undercutting all the material up-slope, which creates conditions for sliding of the soil cover,” he said.
Hillside Trust President Bill Cherry said the organization is a rare breed. It's one of the oldest environmental groups in Hamilton County, formed in 1976, but it does not take an anti-development stance.
“We advocate the thoughtful use of our hillsides,” Mr. Cherry said.
Cincinnati's planning department is updating its zoning codes.
One portion of the code deals with construction on hillsides, and the trust is lobbying for rules that would make it more difficult to clear-cut hillsides, so that when development does happen, the environmental impact is minimal.
“Development has to be done in a way that is sensitive to the underlying geology, which is very unique in this area,” said Tim Jeckering, a trust board member and a residential architect who has had a hand in more than 300 area projects.
“There are so many changes in grade that developers really need to study the site before they decide what they're going do,” he said. “We haven't seen that a lot.”
Cincinnati City Planner Steve Briggs said there needs to be a balance between making sure development is compatible with the environment and not overtaxing developers with red tape.
“The surface geology is sometimes different from one hillside to another, so you can't come in with one set design and expect it to work on any hillside,” Mr. Briggs said.
“There are some that feel there should be more teeth in the zoning codes, and others feel the code is too rigid,” he said. “I come down in the middle.”
The Hillside Trust also is custodian of 12 pieces of hilly real estate, protecting about 180 acres of land under its care. The parcels dot the Tristate, from Westwood to Anderson Township, Hartwell to Mount Washington.
There also is a 33-acre tract in Clermont County.
The most recent land donation is in Green Township, off Cleves-Warsaw Road. A series of wooded hillsides, the land lies in the middle of an area struggling with questions of how and how much it should be developed.
“It's our first piece of property in the western part of the county,” Mr. Cherry said. “That area is under serious development pressure. All of the lands in our care will remain forever in their natural state.”
That's of benefit to people such as Dr. Stanley Hedeen, biology professor at Xavier University.
Dr. Hedeen uses some of the trust land to study salamanders, birds and other wildlife. He said development pressures have made wildlife habitat increasingly scarce.
“That type of land is threatened,” Dr. Hedeen said. “There is no replacing it after it has been developed. So there is great importance in preserving habitat for native species of plants and animals.”
'2% Club' warrants more study, auditors say
Bill asks to post medical lawsuits
Teen donates Christmas tree for square
HMO change may set trend doctors want
Flynt looks to Butler Co.
Voucher order is blocked
Fire ravages Florence eatery
Gracious, polite trick-or-treaters were a delight
Hillsides closely guarded
Enter our Dress A Turkey contest
GET TO IT
'Harmonium' composer leads stirring premiere of choral masterpiece
DANCE REVIEW
ANTIQUES and COLLECTIBLES
Butler Co. to aid in fund hunt for City Centre
Butler County may hook up to Cincinnati water
Court to decide Lebanon land's fate: apartments or park
Democrat announces run against Westwood
Ex-dissidents now elected to run Cleves
Kenton Co. EMTs use breathing tool
Ky. Catholic schools get $25,000 donation
Lebanon to pay fine for illegal meeting
ODOT gives more to transit center
Police signal to warn of cruisers in area
Reading fire chief to take new job
School helpers may face checks
Skaters learn by baby steps
Teen arrested for false 911 cell calls
Tip leads to arrest in Covington drug death
Tongue-twister name didn't stop voters from writing him in
TRISTATE DIGEST
Trotta was tailor to the stars Loved gardening and his family
UofL player hurt in elevator fall
Village honors its boy soldier
