Village Planning Commission asks FCC to revise Barr plans

Revised plat of the Friends Care Community’s proposed senior apartment project.

By Lauren Heaton

Not quite satisfied with Friends Care Community’s senior apartment building design, Village Planning Commission members requested at their meeting Monday, Feb. 11, that the FCC submit a second revision of its plans for the property. Friends Care Board of Trustees intend to resubmit a revised plan for the building on the corner of Limestone Street and Xenia Avenue, Friends Board President Carl Champney said last week. But he did not know whether they would be ready in time for plan board’s next meeting on Monday, March 10.

FCC is proposing a 30-unit, three-story apartment building on the 1.6-acre Barr property donated by the Morgan Family Foundation for the purpose of providing senior housing within walking distance of downtown. The original plans, submitted by Friends’ architect Mary Rogero of Rogero Buckman Architects, drew criticism from neighbors and residents who said at plan board’s public hearing last month that the structure was too “massive” and did not fit with the character of the single family homes on Limestone Street. The new plans submitted to plan board last week included a more boxy structure, with the same height and volume of the original 33,000-square foot structure.

Plan board members voiced agreement on Feb. 11 that the current proposal includes an oversized, “massive” building that dominates what is a sensitive and key gateway to the village. As a solution they expressed an inclination to approve an increased number of total units if the structure as a whole could be made less “imposing.” Plan board members also urged FCC to consider creative ways of saving all or part of the Barr house which was built in the 1850s and puts the property on the National Register of Historic Places.

FCC has a preliminary proposal to rezone the property from residence C to planned unit development, a request subject to the Village Comprehensive Land Use Plan which designates that intersection as a special planning area and requires that “the impact of growth and development...not threaten natural, social and economic qualities that are deemed worthy of protection.” Development in special areas must also be compatible with existing adjacent uses, according to the land use plan. If plan board approves the preliminary application, the plan will be forwarded to Village Council with a recommendation. Friends must then secure final approval from both plan board and Council for the zoning change.

FCC architect Matt Sauer, standing in for Rogero, responded to some concerns that had been raised about the apartment building plans at plan board’s meeting in January. Regarding storm water drainage, the building’s green roof and permeable paving surfaces will retard much of the runoff with any excess being funneled to the existing Limestone Street sewer, he said. Limiting occupancy to senior citizens is possible without discriminating under federal regulation, according to the FCC attorney, said Sauer, and the plan provides 30 parking spaces plus room for an additional 20 spaces if the senior center is added to the property.

About 15 residents attended the Feb. 11 plan board meeting to listen and comment on the plans for the Barr lot. Neighboring property owner Anne Bohlen voiced dissatisfaction with the aesthetic of the large, modern building with a flat roof that does not fit the “flow” of the Victorian neighborhood that surrounds it and is not appropriate for a gateway to the downtown. She also said the new building’s increased density would crowd the property. And neighbor Sharon Mohler and property owner John Cannon were concerned that the existing sanitary sewer lines would not be able to handle the increase in density.

These comments echoed a written statement signed by 16 neighbors indicating their concern that the property may not be restricted to serving seniors only and that it may be at risk of being sold for a different use in the future. The neighbors also stated they did not want public funds to support a project that may require increasing the size of the sanitary sewer line on Limestone or improving the storm water sewer system to accommodate excess runoff and sewer demands that result from new development.

Some of the more technical concerns regarding waste and storm water seemed to Friends consulting engineer John Eastman to be premature, given that plan board has not yet agreed to the basic building plan. Legally, Friends will be financially responsible for dealing with increased demand on infrastructure, he said, adding, however, that because Limestone does not currently have a stormwater management system, a community solution could address both the current and future problem with stormwater.

“Friends Care wants to identify the technical problems and find the best solution in a cooperative spirit, not an adversarial one,” Eastman said. “We need to work together to find the best way to handle it to improve things.”

Champney said last week that Friends planned to begin another analysis of the financial feasibility of the project with more units, which he said could possibly allow more flexibility in the building’s design. But as he indicated at the meeting that splitting the building into two parts would significantly increase the expense of the project in terms of infrastructure and building materials, he added that it was also likely to eliminate the possibility of involving the Senior Center on the property. Champney was uncertain just how much redesign was doable.

“Almost anywhere we go with the current design we’re going to be getting into higher costs,” he said. “I’m not sure how much modification we’re going to be able to make and still make it financially feasible.”

Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com