Planning board accepts impact study for large Woodward–Maple development, delays site-plan vote over parking dispute

The Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday accepted a community impact study (CIS) for a proposed mixed-use development at 3492 Woodward and 690 East Maple but postponed action on the preliminary site plan so staff, the applicant and outside consultants can reconcile conflicting parking calculations and a requested legal interpretation.

The developer, BezTek, proposes a large mixed-use building with roughly 224–228 residential units, more than 15,000 square feet of retail space (about 5,000 square feet of restaurant space) and multiple levels of concealed parking. Planning Director Nick Dupuis told the board the project is roughly 540,000 square feet, which triggers the CIS requirement. Dupuis said the two-parcel site sits in MU-5 and MU-7 districts, and that the additional interior level the applicant seeks will require a Board of Zoning Appeals review because it reads as an extra story under the code.

Why it matters: The project would add significant housing and new public parking in the Triangle District but also raises questions about how the city counts parking toward bonus-story incentives. The board accepted the CIS to document anticipated impacts while reserving judgment on whether the development satisfies the ordinance’s public-parking requirement that enables bonus height.

Board members and staff…