By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP - Wanted: 300 parking spots.

A scramble to find a temporary home for 200 commuters' cars because of redevelopment of the former Beechmont Mall worsened Monday. Metro officials learned 98 additional parking spots it had rented for the Park & Ride at a nearby shopping plaza no longer would be available to commuters starting today.

Operators of Pinnacle Plaza, adjacent to the township's government services center off Beechmont Avenue, repeatedly have complained to Metro that motorists have been parking in the wrong area, inconveniencing shoppers.

"We thought we could work something out, but it just isn't feasible," Metro spokeswoman Sallie Hilvers said. "In addition to losing the Pinnacle spots, we have lost the mall, so there is a crunch on for parking."

Hundreds of commuters are left in the lurch. Some have been parking at businesses along Beechmont, hoping they won't be towed.

Some of them were upset Monday and complained that Metro didn't provide enough notice about parking at the mall ending until a $2.5 million transit center is built and opens later this year.

"Every morning is an adventure," commuter Mike Niehaus said Monday.

"It is making people think twice about taking the bus, quite frankly, which is unfortunate," said Niehaus, a manager at Convergys who has taken the bus downtown for 20 years. "I hate to see more cars on the overcrowded, polluted streets of Cincinnati. But I don't know if Metro is really taking the concerns of the suburban commuter to heart here."

Township officials also are upset and are trying to find temporary parking for the commuters.

The township warned Metro three years ago that motorists couldn't park at the mall during construction for safety reasons, said Steve Sievers, the township's director of development.

"We assumed they had a short-term solution worked out," he said.

Metro officials had hoped at least some of the 200 vehicles could remain at the mall during construction, Hilvers said.

"We have been out there aggressively working along with Anderson Township," she said. "...We are hoping to have something soon to tell our customers."

---

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com