A new proposal has been presented for 203 N Blount which is currently a vacant lot.

In 2015 the developer made proposals that resulted in demolition of the then existing housing and obtained approval for an eight unit building.

See:  https://www.tenneylapham.org/web-data/development/200nblount.htm

The original plans involved the demolition of all the buildings from the laundromat, around E Johnson, to E Dayton St.  Through several neighborhood meetings over 2 years with the developer, the current Planned Development was agreed to.  On N Blount St, only the house at 203 was demolished.  While the rest of the PD was completed, the site at 203 has remained vacant.

PD Standard (e), generally speaks to coordinating “…architectural styles and building forms to achieve greater compatibility with surrounding land uses and create an environment of sustained aesthetic desirability compatible with the existing or intended character of the area and the statement of purpose of the PD District.”

The original 8-unit building paid close attention to this standard which is shown in the 2017 elevation attached.  It is the same height and vernacular architectural style as that of adjacent buildings and is sympathetic to the feel of Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood.  The front and side articulation is particularly important to minimizing the massing of an 8-unit apartment building.

The proposed change to the PD that we are reviewing tonight is a 16-unit apartment building. While the footprint is the same, the building height increases 9 feet. But more importantly, the roof changes from 2 gable ends to a more continuous roof with pitched features. The different roof and the increased height significantly increase the massing of the building.

A comparison of the proposals shows the distribution and make up for the units.  A recurring discussion for any larger development in the City is whether more 2- and 3-bedroom housing units are needed. 

The proposed building presents many desirable features:

• Thoughtful design of quality construction materials
• Increased number of housing units
• No additional parking spaces
• Traditional porches

However there are several issues on which the neighborhood should weigh in:

• Design and selection of construction materials
• Increase in height
• Increased number of housing units
• Compatibility with neighborhood (as required by PD)
• Decrease in 2-bedroom units
• No additional parking spaces
• Possible improvements in articulation to decrease massing
• Sympathy with 3 local historic landmarks across N Blair St and E Dayton St

I’m sure that many in the neighborhood remember working with the developer for 2 years to define the accepted 2017 development proposal.  Tonight’s meeting may be the only one we have on the 2025 proposal.  However we still have time to recommend design changes. 

As with the efforts we made in 2015-2017, your input will contribute to a better design and a better neighborhood.