LOVELAND — The hurdle that the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati cleared Wednesday allows Y officials to consider beginning construction this spring on a $5 million facility in Phillips Park.

        Whether the nonprofit agency can stick to that plan depends on Save Phillips Park, a group that has spent three years opposing the construction. It says the city should not lease park property — at no cost — to an agency that charges annual fees of about $700 per family.

        On Wednesday, the Board of Zoning Appeals rejected an appeal filed by Paul Elliott, a member of the group. The denial, in essence, supported the planning commission's decision last year to OK the conditional-use permit that would allow construction.

        Save Phillips Park plans to file an appeal within the next month in common pleas court. That could throw the conditional-use permit into question again.

        “The public is owed correct processes by its governmental entities,” Mr. Elliott said.

        Jackie Mathews, YMCA spokeswoman, said the group's work is hurting the agency's fund-raising efforts and affecting its relationship with the city.

        The agency struck a development agreement with Loveland to lease the land at no cost. The YMCA was supposed to have raised $5 million by October.

        The YMCA has been approved for a $2.5 million bond but, for the other half, the agency has only raised $1.3 million. Earlier this week, City Council members agreed to give the agency another year to raise the remaining $1.2 million.

        Still, “we're hoping that ... the community realizes that this project is a reality and it's going to move forward with the support of the city,” Ms. Mathews said.

        At Wednesday's session, zoning appeals board members said they were denying the appeal because it didn't prove that:

        • A YMCA facility would be detrimental to the park or any residents.

        • The YMCA's plans were incongruous with the park property, which is zoned for noncommercial recreational use.

        • The facility would be detrimental to the economic welfare of the community.

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