Planning Staff says No to NeNo

The City's Planning Staff issued their report on the Near North project Friday. They are recommending that Planning Commission DENY the Near North PUD and site plan.

The full report is available in the planning packet for Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting, but here's the key paragraph:

"The length of the proposed building (210 feet), its height (ranging from 30 to 50 feet), and overall massing are inconsistent with the goals of the Central Area Plan (CAP) regarding neighborhood preservation, infill development, out of scale construction, and historic preservation. The proposed PUD zoning significantly exceeds the area, height, and placement standards of the comparable R4C zoning district in this neighborhood. Furthermore, the public benefits provided by the project are not substantial enough to justify the resulting impacts on an intact, traditional neighborhood and streetscape."

"I know there is a long way to go," says NCPOA president Tom Fitzsimmons. "But Round One goes to the neighborhood (or is at Round Three, counting the developers' earlier plans since 2004?)."

The next round will be at the Planning Commission Public Hearing on Tuesday, April 21.