Neighbors and commissioners raise scale, parking and trash concerns for proposed 3‑story building at 874–876 Jessamine Street

Neighbors and several commissioners questioned the scale and massing of a proposed three‑story multifamily building at 874–876 Jessamine Street in the Union Hill Historic District during a conceptual review and public comment period.

Staff described the proposal as a three‑story building on two parcels at the northeastern edge of the district, with porches, brick base and a combination of horizontal siding and aluminum railings. The applicant’s representative said the design includes articulated facades, porches along Jessamine and a combination of brick and lap siding to break up massing. Staff recommended confirming final brick type, mortar and colors; revising window sizes for consistent fenestration on the Carrington Street elevation; relocating trash enclosures; and articulating entries and porches to improve pedestrian scale.

Multiple in‑person speakers objected. Buddy Corbett, a nearby property owner, called the design “a great big tenement building” and urged the commission to require a design more compatible with surrounding single‑family homes. Neighbors Andrew and Taneta Caleb, whose home sits immediately adjacent, said they were not contacted by the developer and expressed concern about overflow parking on neighborhood streets and about the proposed trash location adjacent to a narrow rear easement.

Will Jelleb Baker, representing the applicant, said the design follows the commission’s new construction guidelines and that the building is sited to match the front yard setback of the adjacent house. Baker asked the commission to retain the current window pattern on Carrington Street because the scheme places full‑size windows in living areas and smaller openings for kitchens and bathrooms.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly urged the project team to reduce apparent massing, improve fenestration consistency and re‑examine the stair and egress stacks that drive rooftop and wall heights. Several commissioners recommended the team revisit the number of units and consider approaches that would make the building read as multiple house‑sized bays rather than a single large mass. The project will require a special use permit; staff and commissioners directed the applicant to return with revised materials, fenestration studies and alternate trash/enclosure locations.