Planning Commission.

Conditional Use.

A "Conditional Use" refers to a type of business or activity that  is not permitted by right in a specific zone district, unless it is proven to be safe and suitable for the surrounding neighborhood. If your proposed use falls under the “Conditional Use” category, you cannot begin operating or make any changes to the site until approval is obtained.

To find out which businesses and activities need this special permission, you can check the Zoning Use Chart in Section 1250 of the Hamilton Zoning Ordinance. These businesses are marked with a "C."

Getting approval for a Conditional Use is not guaranteed. To get a Conditional Use Certificate, the applicant must first go through a public hearing with the Planning Commission and then get final approval from the City Council. All applications are reviewed to make sure they meet certain standards as listed in Section 1300.4(C) of the Hamilton Zoning Ordinance.

Upcoming Meetings

Agenda & Minutes

Previous Agendas are located on the Agenda & Minutes page.

A variance is a request for an exception to the zoning regulations. A variance can be granted when following the specified  conditional use criteria would create a problem or difficulty for a property owner. The person asking for the variance needs to prove why it is necessary.

An applicant may request a variance at the same time as a Conditional Use, as long as the variance  requested is directly related to the Conditional Use . If both a variance and a Conditional Use are needed, they can be reviewed and approved together if they meet the criteria in the zoning rules in Section 1300.4( D) of the Hamilton Zoning Ordinance.

If you would like to apply for a Conditional Use, please schedule a pre-application meeting with Planning staff at 513-785-7350 or planning@hamilton-oh.gov.

Other Planning Commission Forms


Applications for a Planned Development (PD) . Create a new PD or amend an existing PD.

Application for a Specific Use. These are uses within “PD” zoned districts that require Planning Commission approval.