Additional SIPNA Comments Park Place Apartments P.D. 07-326

The Park Place Apartment development does not meet the criteria

The Park Place Apartment development does not meet the General Standards and Criteria for Planned Developments. (Section 14 C.1.3.4. Zoning Ordinance P.66).



1. The enjoyment and use of the surrounding properties will be injured seriously when thee already heavy traffic conditions in this section of Park Avenue worsen and the approximately 12 cars on the existing 6 lots increase to over 300 causing more cut through traffic on the narrow, hilly, tree-lined, residential side streets to the south. West Crestwood already has traffic calmers and Colonial Park United Methodist Church has installed gates and speed bumps to stop cut through traffic from Park to Estate and protect the children going to their playground.

The main driveway to the parking garage will be about 10 feet from the patios of the 3 adjacent Park Court Townhomes to the west. The enjoyment and use of their property will be injured by having over 300 cars driving in and out past their property day and night.

The neighbors' enjoyment of a view of a tree-lined street will be destroyed by a large, bulky building and by destruction of most of the large, mature trees. If parking is to be permitted in front of the building, neighbors across the street will have a view of a car-lined Park Avenue.

The proposed development would set a precedent for increased density and build pressure for higher densities and land use changes on the remaining single family lots on the north side of Park Avenue to the east as well as higher densities on the south side of the street. It would make it more difficult to develop these areas in accordance with the Park Avenue/Sea Isle Development Overview, the current development policy of the city.



3. The location and arrangement of the building and driveways are not compatible with the surrounding land uses; the building is set too close to the street for its height and overpowers the surrounding one and two story residences.

The massive structures will take up so much room that there is no space left for much landscaping.

Natural features that would justify preservation (the beautiful, mature trees) will be destroyed.



4. The design of the outline plan (a huge building, with little setback from the street, and with little open space and landscaping, looming over one and two story residences) does not warrant modification of regulations that are applicable to this site. There are no amenities that would warrant changes to the regulations. The interior courtyards are open space, but do not benefit the surrounding neighborhood or give the feeling of open space to the streetscape..

The Park Place Apartment Development is not compatible with the neighborhood in this location on Park Avenue. The rendering, however, shows an attractive building that would fit in and be an asset to a location in the Downtown, Midtown or along the Poplar Corridor (perhaps the Laurelwood/Perkins/White Station area).

It is in the public's interest to protect neighborhoods like the Sea Isle Park Neighborhood. Memphis needs stable, attractive neighborhoods where people want to live. Good neighborhoods are the strength of the city.&nbs p;



PLEASE REJECT THE PARK PLACE APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT

Submitted to OPD by Pat Merrill on October 4, 2007