A developer told the City Planning Commission he plans to build four buildings of six units each — about 24 units total — on a 1.09-acre site on Noble Avenue and asked the commission to recommend rezoning the property from B-2 commercial and R-60D duplex residential to R-60A apartments. The developer said the design may renovate an existing building or replace it, with access from Noble and Perry.
Commissioners and planning staff raised compatibility questions with the city’s 2040 plan and the city’s characterization of traditional neighborhood forms. Robert Smith, planning staff, said the 2040 plan calls for triplexes, duplexes and townhomes in that area rather than the type of apartment buildings proposed. “The 2040 plan calls for the triplex, the duplex, the quadplex,” Smith said. Staff also noted part of the property abuts the historic district, which would require design review by the Architectural Review Board and “would be another layer of protection,” a staff member said.
Because the staff and commissioners wanted to confirm whether the proposal matches the plan’s land-use guidance and to ensure the historic-district implications were addressed, commissioners agreed to delay action and bring the item back for further review. One commissioner said the applicant should consult with the Architectural Review Board and bring additional design materials when the proposal returns.
No formal rezoning vote was taken at the meeting; the item was continued so staff can clarify whether the proposal aligns with the 2040 plan and to identify required historic-district review.