Development Proposal
On Monday, June 13 Matthew Wilbur of Macon Construction, representatives of Peerless Real Estate, and Jill Hart with A Curated Wall presented a proposed two-building development located along May Street in the 25th Ward and on Washington Boulevard in the 27th Ward. The buildings will provide large, single-family home condominiums with terraces (four units per floor, duplexes on the top floor, unit sizes up to 5,000 sq ft) with elevators for each pair of units. The building is proposed to be 100% residential, with no ground floor retail, etc. The existing three-story building on the southwest corner of May and Washington (which is not part of this project) will remain.
The buildings would include dark brick with glass and metal accents. The height for both buildings should match the nearby Belgravia buildings
The May Street building will be set back from the central alley property line to allow for better circulation on the interior of the block. Streetscaping is proposed for the front of each building, but the developer is not sure if it will be extended to the existing building at the corner of Washington and May.
The buildings are zoned as DX-3 and the developers are seeking a DX-7 (actual FAR of 5.6) proposed development because of the proposed building height.
The developer stated that they will consider making a donation to local schools and parks to account for the increased demand resulting from the families that they expect to occupy the proposed buildings.
The committee requested a shade and traffic study be conducted.
There will be a partial basement with parking in the basement and first floor (the buildings will have a 2: 1 parking-to-unit ratio). Loading will be from the alleys in the rear of both buildings, with a dog run in the rear of the May building. The two buildings will provide an average of 5,900 sq ft of green space through terraces and dog runs (not publicly-available).
The developer intends to break ground for the Washington building in 2017 and the May Street building in 2018 or 2019.
Committee Feedback
The committee suggested that the developer consider the height of nearby Belgravia-developed buildings as the maximum allowable height for this area. The committee also wondered how the developers would address the affordable housing requirements, as this was not made clear in the presentation.
From a traffic standpoint, the committee foresees traffic circulation issues for the alleys.
The committee feels that proposed streetscaping & lighting should extend beyond the proposed buildings to include the corner of May and Washington.
It is also of critical importance that the developers address the additional strain that the proposed units will cause on the local infrastructure, in particular Skinner West Elementary school.
Next Steps
The community meeting is tentatively planned for some time in August.
By: NOWL Development Committee Chair, Matt Letourneau
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2016
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