Neighbors say developer sought private meetings as fight over Bennett lot, zoning and building height continues

Neighbors told council they remain engaged in a long-running dispute with a developer proposing a multi-story housing project on the former Bennett car-dealership lot.

Terry Kloiber said neighbors have resisted private meetings with developer Norton Herrick and that neighborhood attorneys are pursuing objections. Kloiber told council she and other neighbors declined an invitation from the developer to meet without broader neighborhood representation and said the principal had indicated the mayor wanted affordable housing on the site. She said neighbors are seeking to limit building height to three stories, which she said reflects the character of surrounding homes.

Bill Shire described the zoning context as the developer having argued for an exception from the requirement that multifamily housing be in the same building as ground-floor commercial space; he said the property is zoned “limited commercial” with a five‑story maximum, and that the zoning hearing board granted the developer relief from the commercial requirement. Shire said that issue — whether multifamily housing can be built where commercial was removed — is likely to be raised on appeal.

Why it matters: The project affects neighborhood scale, traffic and character. Neighbors are pursuing legal avenues and await further action from zoning and courts; council members were updated but took no formal action at the meeting.

Details and clarifications from the meeting: - Neighbors’ position: prefer a three‑story maximum and want commercial included in any building, per neighborhood statements to council (Terry Kloiber). - Developer contacts: Norton Herrick and Duane Wagner reportedly reached out to at least one neighbor; that neighbor declined to meet privately and relayed the developer’s remark about an affordable-housing preference conveyed via the mayor. - Zoning actions: Neighbors say the zoning hearing board granted relief from the requirement that multifamily housing be in the same building as commercial, and the developer interprets that as allowing five stories; neighbors expect legal arguments to follow.

No formal council motion or new zoning action was taken at the meeting. Neighbors said they and their counsel continue to pursue litigation and administrative reviews.