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Rendering of the proposed 4224 Baltimore Ave. Courtesy:
of Cecil Baker + Partners.
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There weren’t any surprises at last week’s zoning
committee meeting for the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA).
That’s when the board heard the U-3 Ventures plan for its
zoning application with the ZBA on 4224 Baltimore Ave. As in meetings past, the
overwhelming majority of the 40 residents in attendance, voted in support of
the 132-unit mixed-unit project on the corner of 43rd and Baltimore Ave.
Located directly across the street from Clark Park, the overall project would
have 137,899 sq. feet. Of that space, 17,000 sq. feet is reserved for
retail—with a potential for restaurants on the ground floor. Five stories of
residential units will face the park with eight stories of residences
constructed to the rear facing east. The residences include a mix of apartments
and condos-located on the uppermost floors. Accessed from Baltimore Avenue, the
garage will include 60 spaces for cars. And the site will provide 50 spaces for
bicycles.
Many regard the above plan as a community collaboration
since first introduced in the summer of 2013. U-3 Ventures with architect Cecil
Baker + Partners hosted three widely publicized and well-attended meetings on
its development.
The lot, owned by James Campenella of the Clarkmore Group
LLC, a section of Thylan Associates, had already received conditional zoning
for 92 residences with six parking spaces. That permit remains valid until
2016. Notably, the Clarkmore Group gave Omar Blaik, President and CEO of
U3-Ventures permission to devise an "alternative" plan with the
community.
After the initial meetings in 2013, U3-Ventures hosted a
subsequent meeting with the SHCA in March of 2014. Receiving the same level of
support, Blaik, the Friends of Clark Park, the University City Historical
Society and members of the SHCA asked Councilwoman Blackwell to introduce an
ordinance to change the parcel’s zoning. Councilwoman Blackwell declined,
telling the developer to go through the standard zoning process.
As already noted, the residents who have attended the
various meetings on 4224 Baltimore support the project. However, some concerns
were expressed.
For example, some residents object to the how the
building’s modern design would clash with the historic architecture of the
surrounding neighborhood. While others have express concern that the project
will increase the immediate neighborhoods’ property taxes.
However, given the overall support of the project, the
SHCA’s zoning committee approved U-3 Ventures application, explained its zoning
chair, Barry Grossbach during a follow-up conversation. "We did so with
the stipulation that we will have future discussions about its façade, building
materials and landscaping plans," Grossbach said, explaining that the SHCA
plans to work with U3 Ventures on those matters "during the design review
process with city planning. With that understanding in place," Grossbach
continued, "the SHCA will support the project’s variances for height,
density and the use of commercial spaces on the site."
At last week’s meeting, Grossbach re-iterated the need to
support the project’s alternative plan over its "by-right" zoning.
"This neighborhood is suffering because of 400 S.
40th Street," Grossbach said, explaining that as a result, developers are
coming "in and doing things ‘as of right.’ Look around the neighborhood at
the unpleasant sites developed ‘as of right’," Grossbach continued.
"There’s a price to pay for dragging out nearly eight years of
litigation," Grossbach said in reference to the ongoing proceedings with
400 S. 40th Street.
"What is a developer supposed to think?"
Grossbach asked. "We have to, as a community, demonstrate that we can work
together on projects. The owner," Grossbach said of the Clarkmore Group,
"is not local. It is owned by a New York entity. They have an ‘as right’
project that will have almost no parking. People who object think they [can
negotiate with the Clarkmore Group] but that’s not the case. People need to
understand what we’re dealing with here."
As of press time, February 23, 2015, a date has not yet
been set for U-3 Ventures to go before the ZBA.
Source: University
City Review
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