Planning Bd Recommends Zoning Changes,Approves Parkway Peruvian Restaurant

The Planning Board recommended approval to two changes to the City’s zoning ordinances on Tuesday night.

The first change affects the Naval Hospital Residential and Commercial Districts, also known as the Admiral’s Hill area of the city.

In the 1980s, the city slackened many building and zoning regulations for the district in an effort to encourage development, according to Lad Dell, the city’s planning and land use administrator.

“People were able to develop without much regulation at all,” said Dell.

A moratorium on building in the district was recently extended to the end of the year by City Manager Thomas Ambrosino as the City worked on new regulations for the district.

The new ordinance recommended by the Planning Board for approval by the City Council allows for four- to six-unit buildings to be constructed by right, with a special permit required for any construction above six units.

The ordinance brought before the Planning Board allowed for building heights of 2 ½ stories and 35 feet. The board amended the ordinance to allow for a building height of 40 feet.

“I would suggest that we add the half a story and a little height to allow for garages,” said John DePriest, the City’s planning director.

City Councillor Roy Avellaneda said the amendment was in line with Council subcommittee discussions on the ordinance to increase building height to make it easier to build garages.

The residents who spoke during the public hearing on the zoning amendment were supportive.

“It looks like this is an effort to protect the character of the neighborhood and not overload our streets,” said Christine Shields.

The second zoning amendment would allow for residential units on the first floor of buildings in the Retail Business District by special permit, as long as those units are not on Broadway.

Two years ago, a zoning amendment banned residential units on the first floor in the Broadway corridor. If the new amendment is approved by the City Council, residential units will still be banned on the first floor on Broadway itself, but could be allowed under special permit on other streets near Broadway in the zoning district.

  • In other Planning Board business, the developers of the massive 1 Forbes Street project withdrew their plans for the project.

But rather than a massive blow to development in the City, it was a procedural move that gives developers more time to fully present the project to a full Planning Board, according to Paul Feldman, who is representing the developer for the 630-unit residential and office building project.

“The public hearing on this was opened on Sept. 22, and at that time, there were a couple of vacancies on the board and a member who was not present,” said Feldman. “With a nine member board, to get site approval, we need six votes.”

Feldman said developers are withdrawing the site plan, but immediately refiling it to start the clock over on the hearing process. He said he expects the project to be back before the Planning Board at its Dec. 18 meeting.

“We would like the participation of all nine members, or all that can attend,” said Feldman.

  • Tuesday night, the board also approved a special permit for a 16-seat Peruvian bistro-type restaurant at the site of a former liquor store on 22 Adams St.

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