About two blocks away from Findlay Market, residents and nearby workers have been bystanders to gun violence – shootings, stray bullets and the resulting broken glass. Officials are hoping new parking restrictions could keep the area safer by making it harder for passersby to linger.
City Council unanimously passed a residential parking permit requirement Wednesday for the intersection of Green and Republic streets and the nearby area.
Councilman Greg Landsman said the effort came to fruition because police worked with Cornerstone Renter Equity and others in the community to come up with a plan to deter crime.
"The folks at Cornerstone have been – and everyone in that area – have been through a lot and they have been knee-deep in problem-solving for a while," he said.
Jamie Kreindler is a community specialist at Cornerstone Renter Equity. She said during a committee meeting earlier this week, she's been in her office near the intersection and heard shots fired in broad daylight.
"Since the summer, there have been at least five violent shootings causing damage to our community room, the youth art center, a resident's apartment and our office window," she said. "This violence is ongoing, and just last night, another drive-by shooting occurred on Green Street terrorizing innocent families and children."
Cornerstone Renter Equity is an organization that helps people transition out of poverty by assisting with a variety of life factors. The organization currently serves over 200 people.
Kreindler said the parking change has support from people and businesses in the surrounding area, including the Over-the-Rhine Community Council.
Vice president of the council, Danny Klingler, said during a committee meeting this week that it's likely just a matter of time before an innocent person is caught in the crossfire of a shooting. He said the council strongly supports the change.
Parking permits will cost $30 per year or $16 every six months.
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