City Plan Commission Moves 75 Unit Wickenden Street Project Forward Despite Neighborhood Opposition
GoLocalProv News Team
City Plan Commission Moves 75 Unit Wickenden Street Project Forward Despite Neighborhood Opposition
It marks the latest in a battle between the developer — Fox Point Capital LLC — and advocates who say the city needs more housing, and neighbors who continue to oppose the project for its size, scale, and design.
“Once this building raises property values, everything else around it is going to fall,” said resident Roz Rustigian during public testimony Tuesday night. “I don’t want to be a Stepford Wife and live in every town USA.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I’m a renter in Providence — the city is in the midst of a housing crisis at this time,” said Daniel Morris, who spoke in support. “75 units is a great addition.”
The developer and architect unveiled its newest design proposal on Tuesday, seeking not only a dimensional adjustment for the proposed height of five stories — approximately 66’5” where 50’ and four stories are permitted by right — but also a new dimensional adjustment of 10’ from the rear yard setback.
The first was granted by the CPC — however, the second, after much discussion and debate, was denied.
“What I have heard from the developer is that there is a certain amount of square footage that works for the project — if they [take it] from the top it means pushing it further into the rear yard,” said CPC Chair Michael Gazdacko. “This is them trying to achieve a certain amount of square footage to make their numbers work. You definitely have a building that’s taking up every inch of this site and then some.”
During the presentation on Tuesday, attorney Dylan Conley for the developer noted that the new design includes additional residential units.
‘We’ve traded what was premium square footage for more standard new market footage — the number of units has gone up but are now more affordable,” said Conley.
Architect Kevin Diamond said the new proposal was a reflection that the team “heard the comments from neighbors and city loud and clear” from previous meetings.
One of the elements of the new design, according to the developer, is that the top floor is set back and not visible from the adjacent street corners.
“We’ve worked really hard during this process…to be communicative and open,” said Diamond. “I feel this process has been transparent, we’ve been clear about our obstacles and design intent. I think good design never happens in a vacuum and this project is a great example of architecture that can engage with community.”
Neighbors during public comment however continued to be opposed to the project, listing reduced parking as one of the major concerns, as some tenants would likely be parking on-street in an already congested area.
Leslie Myers, an architect and representative for the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, addressed the supporters of the project who cited the need for more affordable housing in the city.
“It’s market rate — all of the people who want to work and walk to work are not going to be able to afford these apartments. This developer has a history of cherry-picking developments at market rate,” said Myers.
She went on to speak to the mixed-use and commercial component of the proposal that allows the developer to build higher than typically allowed.
“The only justification I keep hearing is it’s “by right,’ said Myers. “Wickenden is the only fully rented district in the city...and new development [in the city] has not brought in new business at the street level .”
At the conclusion of nearly three hours of discussion and debate, the CPC approved the height adjustment requested and denied the rear setback requested; it approved the design waivers for “residential use on Main Street and height of window sills from grade.”
The master plan was ultimately approved with conditions -- that the developer as part of the next preliminary planning stage address where the transformer is going to be located, which they could not specify on Tuesday; provide complete floor plans, which have yet to be provided; provide a planting plan for the rear portion of the building; and that the loading area as proposed remain.