Neighbors urge council to slow Forest Trail rezoning over density and school fears

Dozens of neighbors spoke during the public comment period on July 21 about plans to convert an office building at 1020 31st Street into a 184-unit apartment building. Speakers repeatedly asked the council to pause or reject the rezoning and to develop a focus area plan for the surrounding 30-acre office park before allowing individual conversions.

“My concern is density—32 or 33 units per acre is pretty high for what we have in the area,” said Greg Donahue, an Orchard Brook resident who urged consideration of an R-class zoning or a feasibility study. Other speakers described traffic and pedestrian risks near Highland Avenue and the lack of sidewalks or crosswalks for a development they estimated could add “3 to 400 residents” to a car-dependent site. Parents from Highland and Bel Air schools asked how additional students would affect class sizes; one parent said the district was already cutting teachers and consolidating grades.

Speakers also raised legal and equity concerns. Jenna McMahon argued that marketing materials describing the building as “market rate only, no subsidized housing, no housing vouchers” could violate state and federal fair-housing laws and said she intended to file a complaint if approvals moved forward. Council members and staff countered that landlords cannot lawfully bar voucher holders and advised legal review where appropriate. The council ultimately approved the rezoning, but several commissioners said they would pursue a focused zoning plan for the corridor to address potential precedent and cumulative impacts.