Oakland planning board recommends appearance approval for Harvest District mixed‑use building

Brad Quinn, the town’s contractor planner with WayTrim, told the Town of Oakland Planning and Zoning Board that the Harvest District mixed‑use project at 1551 West Colonial Drive has already received PD zoning approval and that the scheme presented for appearance review is consistent with that PD.

Quinn said the development covers about five acres and, under the approved planned development, comprises a maximum of 72 multifamily dwelling units and about 48,000 square feet of commercial space distributed across two three‑story buildings. He noted the PD was approved by ordinance 2024‑6 on March 26, 2024, and that the appearance review board had unanimously recommended approval of the detailed building plans. "This has already gone to your appearance review board... they reviewed these plans and they've unanimously recommended approval," Quinn said.

A board member raised concerns about the location of the ADA units in the engineering plans, saying the accessible units appeared placed far from elevators and that could be a hardship for tenants who must carry groceries long distances. The board member said, "Having a disabled family member in my family... it would be a hardship for somebody disabled to drag his groceries all the way down the hallway." Another member said the plans showed four total ADA units across the buildings and suggested the applicant consider rearranging unit locations to improve accessibility.

An applicant representative said the architect had designed the layout and that they would investigate the board’s concerns. Quinn added that town building department reviews would ensure the project meets federal and state ADA requirements: "From the town’s perspective... they assure that it is fully compliant with the federal and state ADA requirements for the building and the locations for that."

After discussion, a board member moved that the Harvest District appearance review, as shown in the approved concept plan, be approved; a second was recorded and the board advanced the appearance approval to the town commission. The motion carried on a voice vote recorded in the meeting minutes as 'Aye' votes and at least one 'Nay' during discussion. The item is scheduled to go to the Town Commission on Dec. 10 for further consideration.

The board did not record detailed redlines at the appearance review vote, and staff indicated outstanding engineering review is ongoing; the board asked the applicant and staff to revisit ADA unit placement prior to final engineering sign‑off.