140 apartments on 7th

A packed crowd at Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church heard Chris Branch of the Boulevard Company and Tony Miller of Miller Architecture deliver preliminary details of the planned development on 7th Street for the Roy White properties tonight. The highlights:

• 140 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
• 4 and one-third stories.
• About 5,000 square feet of commercial space.
• Between one and two parking spaces per bedroom.
• No parking visible from the street.
• No plans yet for the properties across 7th Street.

After the Branch/Miller presentation and some Q&A, they left and an open discussion started. Afterward we were to vote on whether we supported the project. I had to leave early, and I wasn't clear on what exactly we were supposed to vote on. I hope someone can fill me in. Branch said that their contract required them to submit their rezoning request by tomorrow. But the details we got tonight were too sparse, I think, for us to tell whether we favor the project or what conditions we might seek to impose. Clearly there will be further steps in this process.

My initial thoughts on the proposal was that it's a good start. The drawings looked handsome, and I like hidden parking. But 5,000 square feet of retail seems kind of small. I know the deed restrictions on most of the property require residential use, but I wonder if there isn't a way to get a little more retail at street level. Also, the size of the thing dwarfs the homes that border it, including the house at the corner of Clement and 7th and the houses on Clement and 8th streets. That's really huge for the people that live there. And 140 apartments? That seems like a lot.

What do you think?

The one you've been waiting for

What will happen to the Roy White property on 7th Street? What will happen to the properties assembled by David Krug across the street? Find out Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. when Chris Branch of the Boulevard Company makes a presentation to the Elizabeth Community Association at the Hawthorne Rec Center. Boulevard has apparently either acquired or is in the process of acquiring both sets of properties, and will be seeking rezoning from the city. They'll want to get input from the ECA first. The meeting Dec. 11 will be the first steps in that process.

Boulevard did the Laurel Ridge development at Randolph and Laurel. You may recall they originally sought a rezoning that would have allowed more units on that site. The city, after consulting with the ECA, denied the rezoning request for higher density.

I don't think I can overstate the importance of the 7th Street projects to the neighborhood. If you live in Elizabeth or if you just occasionally drive on 7th, you have a stake in the results. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard.