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Residents urge council to revisit Phillips Place rezoning, oppose 54-unit project
Summary
More than a half-dozen Phillips Place residents told the City Council April 3 that a 2022 rezoning enabled a 54-unit apartment project that will overwhelm a one-block historic street unless the city reconsiders scale, infrastructure and notice.
A string of residents from Phillips Place pressed the City Council during the April 3 public comment period to revisit a rezoning change that they say paved the way for a proposed 54-unit apartment complex behind their homes.
Speakers including Dan Brindell, Nina Shields, Jane Potter, Deborah (last name not specified) and Colin Hoffmeister described years of construction impacts on the narrow, historic street and said the scale of the new project is out of character for a road built in the 1820s. They said infrastructure — drainage, sidewalks, parking and emergency truck access — has not been upgraded to accommodate the larger development and alleged inadequate notice and transparency around the rezoning and subsequent developer planning.
Several residents recounted property damage and repeated construction disruption. Jane Potter, a long-time resident, outlined multiple existing multi-unit projects already either completed or under renovation nearby and said the cumulative change is much larger than the neighborhood expected. Colin Hoffmeister described the proposed building as roughly 50 feet tall adjacent to single-family houses and said the developer altered plans after an earlier, smaller-condominium proposal.
Councilors and staff did not take immediate action on those public comments; several councilors acknowledged the concerns and said the planning department and relevant boards handle zoning and permitting. Council president Alex Jarrett and Councilor LaBarge noted the matter is on the city’s list of active planning topics and urged residents to continue engagement with planning staff and the Ward 3 councilor.
Ending Residents asked the council to step in and provide more notice and oversight. Councilors said they would follow up with planning staff about the process for rezoning and project review and urged neighbors to continue to submit comments to relevant boards.
