Remember back in November when a small crowd gathered in front of three-decker at 712 East Sixth Street to oppose a proposal for a new 44 foot, three-story addition to the back of the building?
Well, the Board of Appeals rejected the proposed plan on Tuesday. Opposition to the project included the mayor’s office, City Councilor Ed Flynn, City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty, State Rep. Nick Collins and many residents who felt the proposal didn’t fit the character of the neighborhood.
It should be noted that this project falls within the new zoning regulations (Article 68) but the project still needed approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals because of An Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD).
What’s an IPOD – well, it helps ensure development projects seeking approval in the near future meet the goals of the longer-term planning or rezoning process – rather than outmoded development patterns.
So what does this mean? Well, it looks like it’s back to the drawing board for the developers of 712 East Sixth to come up with a new proposal. More to follow!
Saw the hearing on t.v. today..heres the real story..IF the community DOESN’T want a project join together, contact local politicians, get PETITIONS, GO to abutters meeting and be sure to go to ZBA meeting AT CITY HALL and EXPRESS your opposition. The main reason these developers get away with their sneaky moves is because they take advantage of complacency by the neighbors!
What was the sneaky move? Advising on to his building?
*adding on to
The neighborhood wasn’t properly notified about the first abutters meeting they didn’t flyer the appropriate people so they had to have a second one. The neighborhood took it upon themselves to spread the word. The first set of plans had 13 bedrooms total, they told us 9 with no living space in the bsmt yet there is a bathroom in the bsmt and a big empty room (hmmmm). You can’t trust the developers and their lawyers. They are businessmen and are out to make a profit.
In this particular case their was nothing sneaky, that I will admit. However, I have personally excpeinced the following by developers/contractors: developers having abutters meeting and presenting a DIFFERENT SET OF PLANS to abutters that were submitted to plans examiner, having abutters meeting at 7;30 PM IN JANUARY ON A WEEKDAY NIGHT IN THE COLD AND DARK ( no lighting), Abutters meeting with NO PLANS at meeting, FAILURE to provide ZONING CODE REFUSAL LETTETR to abutters at abutters meeting, FAILURE to properly advertise abutters meeting ( it’s the “responsibility ” of developer to advertise abutters meeting),once plans are approved EXCEEDING stamped plans just to name a few SNEAKY PLOYS some ( not all) developers try and often get away with. STAY DILIGENT!!
For every “No” there are tens of “Yes'”….win some you lose some. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the approval rate.
That is an excellent perspective, NSNTTH! And what an amazing job they are doing!