38 apartments on South Walker Street on the line.
At the August 25 Regular Meeting of the City Commission, commissioners had some back and forth during a quasi-judicial public hearing on an ordinance to rezone 3.19 acres to allow 38 multi-family apartments. The site is located on the east side of S. Walker St., south of W. Bates St. and north of W. Grant St. (PB-2024-49; item 25-385).
The owner submitted a request to change the zoning of the vacant property from Residential 1A to the Walker Street Apartments Planned Development District. The proposed project would have a single access driveway, a roundabout at the south end of the parking lot, and 76 parking spaces. Sidewalks, two recreational areas, and a stormwater retention pond are the major proposed improvements to the site. Four of the planned buildings are single-story, plus one two-story with a maximum height of 35 feet. The project is designed to be compatible with surrounding residential homes through setbacks, landscaping, and architectural features. The landscaped buffer would have native plants, a six-foot vinyl fence, and preservation of protected trees on the perimeter of the parcel.
Citizens raised some concerns at the Planning Board meeting about this project. However, the Planning Board voted to approve it on the condition of two changes. First, the developer would be required to widen sections of S. Walker to 22 feet. Second, the developer would have to install at least one sidewalk on the east side of S. Walker. A traffic study indicated the volume would not require a left turn lane from S. Walker St. onto the property. Representatives for the owner and city staff presented the details of the plan at the Commission meeting. They recommended widening Walker Street to 20 feet at some points to also build better stormwater runoff infrastructure. When the floor opened for public comments, one neighbor who has lived there for 34 years voiced concerns about safety issues that would be caused by the project. The following are some of the comments from city commissioners.
“I am really struggling with this one,” Mayor Nate Kilton said to open the discussion. “It’s a rare instance where something comes before the commission from our staff and from the Planning Board that I don’t agree with; because you all are so thorough….But I can’t get past the compatibility issue on this one. To me, it feels like we are trying to put a 10-pound sausage in a five-pound casing on this….We are trying to put this in the middle of the existing residences.”
“Your honor, I have the same concerns you are talking about,” Commissioner Mike Sparkman commented. “But it appears the staff has worked it out to where it is compatible. So, the individual has the right to do with his property what he desires, and I don’t see any way that I would object to his development with what they have done to improve it.”
“I completely respect that position….” Kilton responded. “Reasonable people can reach different conclusions on these particular items. I do appreciate everybody else’s viewpoints on this.”
City Commissioners voted 3-2, with Kilton and Jones voting against, to approve the rezoning so the development can move forward.
