It looks like the new building on the corner of Haynes and Peters is going to be set back from the street with a parking lot in front. I guess these are going to be apartments? Hopefully they won't look like crap...

I'm glad to see new construction, and even more glad to see an empty lot taken up, but is this the type of thing that our Steering Committee Findings process will be able to prevent in the future? Are these developers under any obligation whatsoever to make this new building look good and fit with the neighborhood, or are we just stuck with the results? I thought there were at least some existing restrictions, given that we are a designated historical area. Does that have any teeth at all?

By Daniel Read

Beazer Homes

The project on the corner of Haynes and Peters St. has gone through the Association and our landuse committee many times. The project is three live/work units and will have a 15 foot wide sidewalk in front. Their parking will be in the back on Bradberry St. I have a copy of the design that was approved if you care to seee it. Stop by anytime.

Jerry

By Jerry Hoy

re: Beazer Homes

Thanks for the info, Jerry. Being new to the neighborhood, I'm not up on a lot of this stuff. Wouldn't you know it, but shortly after I posted the original message the other day, I went outside and saw that what I thought what was going to be a parking lot is actually the main building. That's excellent news. Hat's off to the developer for doing it right, whether or not he was forced to.

I'm curious, though, Jerry: you said that the project has "gone through the Association and our landuse committee many times." Was this something that the developer did out of courtesy, or is there a law that forces them to submit something, and then to abide by the decisions of the association/committee? What force of law does the Association and/or land use committee have? And will this change when these "Steering Comittee Findings" are implemented somehow?

Thanks,
Dan

By Daniel Read

Land use committee review

The fact that a developer will reveal their plans to the committee or the association is a courtesy and respect thing, and is suggested by the Urban Design Commission. Although, if I can be part of making some changes in city hall, this process would be mandatory.

Beazer presented their project to the association and was voted down on the initial concept to build peaked roofed houses for live/work. These building did not belong to the Historic Neighborhood District, of which Haynes St. and Peters St. are a part. They then made changes to the plans which consisted of flat roof design that did kind of worked, and was approved.
A couple of months later they came back, this time with the head architect from Miami, and they fought the flat roof concept, but to no avail, they had no choice. We were successful in maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood.

The land use committee is always trying to maintain the consistency of this great neighborhood, and sometimes we do win, but not always.

Our association can only make recommendations. These recommendations can carry great weight, when accompanied by the numbers of persons present when the presentations are made to the other city departments, such as, NPU, ZRB, UDC, BZA, PLANNING, CITY COUNCIL. Our voices can be heard but we must be present at the time.



By Jerry Hoy