FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City Council has been asked by the developer to remand a request to rezone about 2.6 acres of property, generally located at the corner of Sunshine Street and National Avenue, to the Planning & Zoning Commission at the regular City Council meeting May 22, 2023.
The current proposal is to rezone property generally located at 1739, 1745 and 1755 S. National Avenue, 1138 E. University Street and 1111, 1119, 1133 and 1141 E. Sunshine Street from single-family residential district to general retail district, and establish a new conditional overlay district No. 220.
The applicant has requested that City Council remand the case, in order to address changes he has made to the project. Developer Ralph Duda, III, said there are concessions to the conditional overlay district. If Council wishes to address the application with the newly proposed changes, they must first remand the application back to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their recommendation.
If they should choose to address the application as it currently stands and without the newly proposed changes, they could hold a public hearing on May 22 and vote at a subsequent meeting.
According to Duda, project changes include:
- Total height of building to be reduced from 75’ to 55’(following 30-degree bulk plane).
- Building a masonry wall as opposed to a 6’ wooden fence along the perimeter abutting University Heights Homes.
- Planting 60-70 non-deciduous evergreens in the buffer yard, along the perimeter abutting University Heights Homes and neighborhood. Trees to be planted every 8-10’ apart and each tree to be a minimum of 12’ tall when planted. Irrigation system will be installed as well to ensure maintenance, life and growth.
- Trees will fill out to create a wall so University Heights will only see a wall of trees vs development. In 3-5 years, these trees are anticipated to reach height of 20-25’ tall.
A conditional overlay is a regulatory tool that creates a special zoning district, which is intended to allow a floating zone to be established as an overlay to a base zoning district. A conditional overlay limits particular land uses to be established and can incorporate specific design standards and development related conditions.
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended against approval of Z-27-2022 with COD 223 (the non-modified provision) at its April 20, 2023 meeting. Planning & Zoning Commission has not reviewed the current step-down proposal.
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For more information, contact Cora Scott, Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement, at 417-380-3352 or [email protected]