Developers present revised 4‑story Livingston proposal; commissioners and neighbors raise concerns over massing, lot coverage and visibility

Developers and their design team returned Aug. 6 to present revisions to a conceptual proposal for a multi‑parcel development at 251 E. Livingston (often discussed as “Cedar Square”). The project envisions a four‑story apartment building with roughly 68 units and about 40 parking spaces on a consolidated block formed from multiple historic parcels.

At the Aug. 6 hearing NBBJ architect representatives described changes made since an earlier presentation: additional parking stalls, reduced unit count with larger units, façade articulation to break long elevations into vertical modules and further setbacks along the Livingston frontage. The design team said the fourth floor would be set well back and visually minimized from most pedestrian viewpoints; renderings shown at the meeting placed much of the fourth‑floor mass behind stepped roof forms intended to reduce visibility.

Commissioners and the public focused discussion on several recurring matters in the German Village guidelines: lot coverage, block rhythm and massing. Commissioners noted the proposal consolidates nine historic parcels into a single, long building, which prompted questions about whether the new mass respects the traditional pattern of smaller lots, front and rear yard space, and narrow vertical rhythms seen throughout the district. Several commissioners urged the design team to show clearer breaks in massing—hyphens, material changes or roof forms—that would make the building read as a set of smaller components rather than a single continuous block.

Public commenters were strongly critical. The German Village Society’s historic‑preservation manager said the society intends to remain engaged and asked the commission to apply the guidelines consistently. Longtime neighborhood residents argued the design overwhelms nearby historic houses, will reduce yard space, and sets a precedent for higher densities on Livingston. One resident recounted the neighborhood’s preservation history and urged commissioners to protect the district’s character.

Staff framed the meeting as a conceptual review and recommended the commission offer design guidance rather than take action. Staff asked for complete elevation drawings and a materials list for any future request for action. Commissioners generally indicated they might support increased height at some locations if the massing, setbacks, roof form and material details were handled to make higher sections less visible and visually subordinate.

Outcome and next steps: The hearing was conceptual; commissioners did not vote on any approvals. Staff and the applicant will continue design work. The commission asked the team to (1) refine the building’s vertical and horizontal breaks so the plan reads as multiple compatible pieces; (2) increase or clarify setbacks where feasible, particularly at the Livingston frontage and at the Cedar Alley intersection; (3) provide a clear lot‑coverage analysis versus historic aerials and parcel records; and (4) submit finished elevation drawings and a full materials list for a formal review at a future meeting.

Why it matters: The proposal is the largest and most contentious conceptual project at the Aug. 6 meeting. It raises issues central to the German Village Commission’s review—how to reconcile denser infill and multiunit housing at a commercial edge with the district’s historic lot patterns, open‑space rhythm and pedestrian scale. Nearby residents said the project could change the character of the neighborhood; the commission’s feedback focused on design moves that would reduce visual dominance while allowing new construction to proceed if the team can meet guideline tests.