Sharon Coolidge

scoolidge@enquirer.com

Updated: 8 a.m.

Councilman Charlie Winburn was against a plan that would help Over-the-Rhine residents have easier access to parking in their booming neighborhood.

Until he was for it.

And then Wednesday, he was against it again.

Without his vote, the idea mustered only five votes and was promptly vetoed by Mayor John Cranley – again.

So what happened since Winburn put out a press release in December pledging his support for the plan?

Winburn claimed he thought the plan only addressed parking on Republic Street. When he realized it was for the whole neighborhood, he refused to overturn Cranley's veto, which is what his vote would have done.

"I told Mr. Messer I would support a plan for parking. However, I was not thinking holistically," Winburn said. "I will not be put in position to override the mayor’s veto."

Vice Mayor David Mann, who brought the issue to the floor, expressed disappointment.

So did parking plan supporter Councilwoman Yvette Simpson.

"I can’t believe we're bringing it back up and it will go down again," Simpson said. "People in OTR will not have any relief and that’s not something anyone should be OK with."

Cranley's stance has been the same all along – residents of every neighborhood already helped bring the streetcar and Washington Park's makeover to Over-the-Rhine so they should have access to parking. And he said the upscale residents flocking to housing in the neighborhood can afford parking.

In the middle of the fight: Over-the-Rhine Community Council President Ryan Messer, who brought the issue to Council more than a year ago. He and Cranley have a history of not agreeing on Over-the-Rhine issues.

Messer took Winburn on a tour of his street, Republic Street, where neighbors told Winburn firsthand how much trouble parking has been. That prompted Winburn to ask Mann to bring the issue back to Council.

Messer took Cranley, not Winburn, to task for the failed plan.

"Cranley's actions are based on personal vendettas resulting from the fact that he lost the streetcar debate and he has not recovered," Messer said. "I'm confident there will be a residential parking plan in OTR. He's playing games and wasting a lot of of taxpayers' time and money fighting against the will of a majority of city council, who are from his own party."

Mann has always had five votes -- his own, Simpson, Chris Seelbach, P.G. Sittenfeld and Wendell Young -- but because Cranley vetoed the idea, he needed a sixth vote. He didn't have it last May when the issue was voted and he didn't think he had the support now – until Winburn said he wanted it.

Cranley and Winburn offered a compromise that would allow spots for low-income residents only, but no formal plan has been drawn up.

About the parking plan

Last spring, there were over 20 neighborhood input meetings about the OTR parking idea.

The pilot program would have:

* Created 450 parking spaces for residents.

* Cost $108 a year for residents; $18 for low-income residents

* Set aside 151 parking spaces for service industry workers.