Proposed Four-Story, 58-Unit Development in Mt. Hope Neighborhood of Providence Moves Forward
Friday, February 23, 2024
A proposed four-story, 58-unit development in the Mt. Hope neighborhood in Providence has been approved by the City Plan Commission (CPC) — and now moves to the Providence City Council for consideration.
This week, the CPC voted to recommend a zoning change from “R3” to “R4” for the proposed project at 103 Evergreen Street, which currently consists of a vacant lot and one single-family house.
The applicant and owner is “103 Evergreen LLC” and the architects on the project are Kevin Diamond and Dustin Dezube principals in Providence Architecture and Building Company.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTDezube is behind the proposed -- and controversial -- five-story mixed-used residential and retail development on Wickdenden Street.
As GoLocal reported last August, "Fox Point Residents Oppose Project, Councilor Refuses to Take Stand & Takes Thousands From Developer;"
"Dezube and his company Providence Realty Advisors have been the subject of complaints by tenants and repeated press coverage for allegations of poor living conditions and evictions.
'Organizing as the Providence Living Tenants Union, at least 22 renters experiencing terrible conditions in apartments throughout Providence created a list of demands. Joined by allies, they marched to the Providence Living offices at 296 Wickenden and taped the demands to the door of Providence Living,' reported Uprise RI."
Recommending Approval
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) had recommended that the CPC approve the proposed zoning change for the Evergreen project in Mt. Hope to move forward to City Council consideration.
The CPC in voting this week to approve the project stipulated that there should be a restriction that the development not be allowed to contain short-term rentals.
The DPD stated the following in its recommendation:
The petitioner is requesting a rezoning of 103 Evergreen Street (AP 5 Lot 521) from R-3 to R-4. The lot measures approximately 8,216 SF and is occupied by a dwelling that will be demolished. The rezoning is being requested to allow for construction of a multifamily dwelling on the lot.
When reviewing requests for zone changes to R-4, the DPD reviews the appropriateness of the change based on a number of factors including conformance with the future land use map, the character of the surrounding neighborhood, the design of the proposed plans, and existing use of the property.
Per the future land use map, which is not intended for parcel level analysis, the lot is located under the medium density residential land use designation which the plan describes as areas characterized by one to three family dwellings and multifamily dwellings. The character of the surrounding area conforms to this description with a number of multifamily dwellings and rowhouses observed in proximity.
The applicant has submitted plans for a four-story, 58 unit apartment building with a cellar, which will be subject to administrative review if the zone change is approved. Given the neighborhood’s makeup of a range of housing densities, it is the DPD’s opinion that it would be appropriate to rezone the lot to R-4 to allow for the proposed development.
The rezoning would be in conformance with objective H-2 of the comprehensive plan which encourages development of new housing. The neighborhood’s character and the future land use map support the proposed change. A development that conforms to the R-4 zone is not expected to negatively affect health, safety and welfare and would be consistent with section 101 of the zoning ordinance.
Recommendation Based on the foregoing discussion, the DPD recommends that the CPC recommend approval of the proposed zone change to the City Council.
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