9-c. 20-1741 2111 Packard Street Rezoning and Site Plan for City Council Approval - Petitioner proposes to remove the existing retail building and construct a new 3-story, 79,020 square foot multiple-family building with 3,642 square feet of ground floor retail space. The project proposes 72 dwelling units with studio, 1, and 2-bedroom unit types with a total of 119 bedrooms. The project proposes 84 surface parking spaces. The petitioner is also proposing to rezone a portion of the site from P (Parking) to C3 (Fringe Commercial) Zoning Classification. Staff Recommendation: Approval
It appears that developers have not taken community input into consideration as no changes have been made that reflect the previously expressed concerns of residents, esp. the setback and the scale. The bulk of the building fronts Packard with a modest 10’ front setback & takes up almost the entire frontage along Packard (280’). At 40’ tall, it is significantly higher than most of the surrounding homes and businesses. It replaces a building of 15,548 SF with one of 79,020 SF, more than 5 times as large. This building will be considerably more imposing on the streetscape, than other structures in the area which are set back at a much greater distance from Packard.
The 2111 Packard project will increase “cut-through” traffic in the adjoining neighborhood and add to peak hour congestion that is already a problem and will create risks to student pedestrians accessing St. Francis, Pattengill, and Tappan.
The project traffic study puts existing peak southbound traffic on Packard is at LOS E, the second worst rating for congestion defined as “unstable flow at or near capacity levels with poor levels of comfort and convenience.” The staff report omits discussion of peak hour northbound traffic. Pre-COVID peak northbound traffic often backs up south of Brockman. The likely outcome of the new traffic leaving 2111 Packard for downtown workplaces is that it will turn east onto Anderson and Crestland, then north on Carhart and Brockman. Nor does the plan realistically state the impact of overflow parking to on-street parking will have on the immediate neighborhood. Assumptions that tenants will bus or bicycle are aspirational, but implausible at best.
It appears that developers have not taken community input into consideration as no changes have been made that reflect the previously expressed concerns of residents, esp. the setback and the scale. The bulk of the building fronts Packard with a modest 10’ front setback & takes up almost the entire frontage along Packard (280’). At 40’ tall, it is significantly higher than most of the surrounding homes and businesses. It replaces a building of 15,548 SF with one of 79,020 SF, more than 5 times as large. This building will be considerably more imposing on the streetscape, than other structures in the area which are set back at a much greater distance from Packard.
The 2111 Packard project will increase “cut-through” traffic in the adjoining neighborhood and add to peak hour congestion that is already a problem and will create risks to student pedestrians accessing St. Francis, Pattengill, and Tappan.
The project traffic study puts existing peak southbound traffic on Packard is at LOS E, the second worst rating for congestion defined as “unstable flow at or near capacity levels with poor levels of comfort and convenience.” The staff report omits discussion of peak hour northbound traffic. Pre-COVID peak northbound traffic often backs up south of Brockman. The likely outcome of the new traffic leaving 2111 Packard for downtown workplaces is that it will turn east onto Anderson and Crestland, then north on Carhart and Brockman. Nor does the plan realistically state the impact of overflow parking to on-street parking will have on the immediate neighborhood. Assumptions that tenants will bus or bicycle are aspirational, but implausible at best.