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Commission approves 88 Arkansas project after contentious debate over 'nested' bedrooms and unit-mix exception
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a 127-unit development at 88 Arkansas with 20% on-site affordable units but granted exceptions — including for dwelling-unit exposure — after extensive testimony both supporting and opposing so-called 'nested' (internally-lit) bedrooms; the vote was 4–2.
The Planning Commission on March 3 approved a large-project authorization for 88 Arkansas, a 127-unit, five-story residential building with ground-floor retail, 98 parking spaces and a commitment to 20 percent on-site below-market-rate units (25 BMR units). The approval included exceptions to several planning-code standards — rear yard, dwelling-unit exposure, off-street loading and unit-mix rules — and passed 4–2, with Commissioners Moore and Richards voting no.
The hearing focused on an interpretation of Eastern Neighborhoods unit-mix rules and a frequent modern layout known in the transcript and testimony as "nested" bedrooms. Nested-bedroom units position bedrooms away from the exterior façade (behind a glazed living area) so the living room takes the street-facing glazing while the bedrooms are set back. Martin Building Company, the sponsor, and multiple…
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