A proposed Culver's restaurant with a double drive-thru on Mason Road heads to the Symmes Township Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on Monday, Oct. 5, according to a township notice.
The BZA will hear two cases at 7 p.m. at the Township Administration Building, 9323 Union Cemetery Road. One of them involves a plan to demolish the former Golden Stars Asian Buffet at 12090 Mason Road and replace it with a 4,700-square-foot Culver's featuring indoor seating, an outdoor patio and a double drive-thru.
The applicant, Sebastian Maurer of the engineering firm Mannik Smith Group, is asking the board to shrink two zoning requirements on the 1.88-acre site. The staff report prepared by Hamilton County Planning and Development shows the request would cut the parking setback from 25 feet to 10 feet and the transition buffer width from 25 feet to 10 feet along the southern and eastern property lines. Those edges border residential zones.
The proposed site plan calls for 98 parking spaces. Staff noted the building's square footage requires only an estimated 47 spaces, and its maximum occupancy of 228 people would need roughly 57. The report also flagged that the developer could revise the layout by reducing parking spaces and removing unnecessary pavement to meet the full 25-foot buffer and setback standards, which could eliminate the need for variances altogether.
That detail matters. An existing privacy fence along the property lines would remain under the current plan, providing screening for neighboring homes.
The property at 12090 Mason Road sits on the east side of Mason Road, south of Governors Way. It is owned by Mason Montgomery 12090 LLC, care of Luxury Motor Car Company, and zoned "E" Retail.
The board will also take up case SBZA 2026-11, a conditional use request at 11312 Snider Road. That address is home to Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, which has appeared before the BZA multiple times. In 2024, the board reviewed revised plans for synthetic athletic fields with stadium seating reduced from 1,000 to 500 seats, relocated locker rooms and sports lighting. In 2025, the board reviewed a conditional use for a freestanding monument sign at the same site. The township's BZA page lists the new case but does not describe what the academy is requesting.
Under township procedures, property owners within 200 feet of each site receive mailed notice of the hearing at least 10 days in advance. Residents can contact the township at (513) 683-6644 or [email protected].
