East Franklinton review board tables 85-unit West Town Street project over design, parking and activation concerns

The East Franklinton Review Board on an unspecified date continued (tabled) a certificate-of-approval application for a proposed four-story, 85-unit apartment building at 511 West Town Street (COA2400032), citing unresolved design details, ground-floor activation and a shortfall in required parking.

Board members and staff told the applicant they needed clearer materials specifications, revised landscaping and solutions for screening mechanical equipment and dumpsters. The project team said the building had been revised since its prior concept review — including a shift to a three-over-podium design to accommodate parking — and offered that siding would not be vinyl. "It's not our intention to have that be vinyl. Everything will be hardy board, or other approvable material by the board," said Tom O'Brien, an applicant representative.

Why it matters: The board flagged several recurring issues that would affect the project's compliance with East Franklinton development standards and future precedent for stepback and ground-floor treatment on Towne Street. Board members also raised concerns that approving the current design without changes could alter how similar projects are reviewed in the future.

What the board and staff said - Staff reported the proposal combines six parcels and would add structured parking, green space, bike storage and enhanced pedestrian access. Staff also said the proposal exceeds the East Franklinton Arts & Innovation Subdistrict's recommended maximum density; staff concluded the excess density was partly mitigated by higher-quality design but asked for revisions. - Staff asked the applicant to specify the vertical siding materials shown on the elevations, to provide an updated landscape plan clarifying green-space treatment along Towne Street, and to fully screen dumpsters and ground-mounted mechanicals on all sides. - Board members pressed the applicant on the absence of a clear Third-Floor stepback and the loss of ground-level unit entrances or "activation" along Towne Street noted in an earlier approved design. One member said restoring some front-edge activation would improve compatibility with the East Franklinton plan.

Parking, ADA and programmatic trade-offs - The project team said the site plan had evolved and that the building conversion and required equipment rooms reduced available stalls. The applicant said the current submission provides 72 spaces, down from a previously submitted 74, while staff and members noted the Franklin Special Parking District requires 75 spaces for the project’s unit count. The applicants described options including payment-in-lieu or a waiver through the public service department if the shortfall remains. - The architect and applicant described constraints around providing an accessible van space: three ADA spaces are required, two are located in the garage and one is proposed in the Mead Alley lot closer to the entrance. The team said a van-accessible stall consumes significantly more area than a standard stall and that some spaces shortfall resulted from an equipment room and an EV-installed van space.

Design changes and precedent concerns - The applicants said they shifted from an earlier stick-built concept to a podium design to preserve parking and accommodate a right-of-way take that reduced rear building depth. Board members cautioned that approving the current design without a Third-Floor stepback or more ground-floor activation could set a precedent for future projects.

Outcome and next steps - The board motioned, seconded and voted to table the application to allow the applicant time to revise the site and landscape plans and provide material specifications. The applicants and staff discussed the possibility of a special meeting on June 11 to allow a quicker re-review before an external financing deadline the applicants referenced (June 24).

Clarifying details - Project type: proposed 4-story apartment building; applicant said 3-over-podium design to accommodate parking. - Units: 85 units (project description in staff report). - Parking: submission showed 72 spaces (applicant), required parking: 75 under Franklin Special Parking District (staff/applicant discussion); previous submittal listed 74. - Variances/requests discussed: reduced driveway two-way width, reduced parking stall widths (9' to 8.5'), reduced parking-lot landscape setbacks, and other site-specific relief related to garage access and setbacks (applicant requested variances described in staff report excerpt). - Materials: applicant committed to hardy board or other board-approvable siding in lieu of vinyl.

Speakers - Tom O'Brien, applicant representative (developer/architect team) - Dave Perry, applicant representative - Nolan (planning staff; first name given in discussion) - Board member: Mr. Perez (board member) - Board member: Mr. White (board member) - Board member: Mr. Smith (board member) - Board member: Mr. Sweeney (board member) - Board member: Mr. Burrows (board member) - Planning staff (unnamed staff members who presented the staff report)

Actions - Kind: other (continuation/tabling) - motion: "Move to table the application until the next scheduled meeting or a special meeting to allow the applicant to revise the design and landscaping and provide materials specifications." - mover: not specified - second: not specified - vote_record: not specified (transcript records a motion, second, then approval language but no roll-call tally was recorded in the provided transcript) - outcome: tabled/continued - notes: Board and staff scheduled a possible special meeting on June 11 to re-review revisions; applicants cited an external financing/deadline of June 24.

Authorities - type: other; name/description: "East Franklinton Arts & Innovation Subdistrict development recommendations"; referenced_by: ["coa2400032-511-west-town-street-tabled"]

Discussion_decision - discussion_points: ["Exceeding recommended density for the subdistrict","Loss of ground-floor activation and Third-Floor stepback compared with earlier approved design","Shortfall of parking stalls (72 submitted vs. 75 required)","Materials specification (vertical siding)","Screening of dumpsters and transformers"] - directions: ["Applicant to provide updated site plan, landscape plan and materials specifications","Staff to review revised plans for stepback, activation and screening"] - decisions: ["Application tabled to allow applicant to revise plans; possible special meeting June 11 was identified"]

proper_names:[{"name":"511 West Town Street","type":"location"},{"name":"East Franklinton","type":"location"},{"name":"Franklin Special Parking District","type":"other"},{"name":"East Franklinton Arts & Innovation Subdistrict","type":"other"}],

clarifying_details:[{"category":"units","detail":"85 units","value":"85","units":"units","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"planning staff"},{"category":"parking_required","detail":"Required parking under Franklin Special Parking District","value":75,"units":"spaces","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"applicant/planning staff"},{"category":"parking_proposed","detail":"Proposed/now-submitted spaces","value":72,"units":"spaces","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"applicant"},{"category":"design_change","detail":"Shift from stick-built to 3-over-podium to accommodate parking","value":true,"units":"boolean","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Tom O'Brien"}],

community_relevance:{"geographies":["East Franklinton","West Town Street"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["future residents","nearby businesses","pedestrians"]},

searchable_tags:["housing","development","parking","East Franklinton","site plan","landscape"],

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"1216.345","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"We have 1. It is COA2400032. Address is 511 West Town Street. The applicant is Dave Perry, and the owner is Rocky Point Partners LLC. Staff report, please.","tc_start":"1216.345","tc_end":"1231.02","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"3682.865","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"Would you like to how would you like to proceed on this? ... table the application, until our until the next scheduled meeting of the board. We have a second second. Move the second at the table.","tc_start":"3649.915","tc_end":"3682.865","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}}

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