Riverside Village developer seeks zoning change
The plan to redevelop four parcels at Riverside Avenue near Memorial Park has been revised by the owner, who is seeking a zoning change to a Planned Unit Development.
The revisions, which are part of a plan called Riverside Village, were presented to Riverside Avondale Preservation at a July 14 Zoom meeting by attorney Paul Harden, representing Dr. Frank Schiavone.
The original plan called for two restaurants and office space, but since the economic fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic, Harden said Schiavone opted for one restaurant with the rest residential.
Harden said the restaurant is planned for Building 2, a single-story building.
Building 1, a two-story yellow brick building, and Building 3 are considered contributing buildings, while Buildings 2 and 4 are not. All the buildings are currently vacant.
Buildings 1, 3 and 4 would be residential, but in the future, Building 3 could be converted to a restaurant, Harden said.
The current CRO zoning allows for a restaurant of up to 60 seats, but the owner wants to be able to serve liquor, which requires a minimum of 100 seats. The proposed tenant wants to have 250 seats, including 50 outdoors, Harden said.
Dennis and Kim Harkins, who own one of four single-family homes on Lancaster Terrace, were among the property owners who attended the Zoom meeting to raise questions about the project.
They are worried about noise, especially if there is live music for the outdoor dining area. They said they can hear music from the River & Post a block away, and they think noise would be an issue for any residents in the adjacent rental property.
“Less than 100 feet away are eight bedrooms,” Harkins said.
Harden said there are no plans for live or amplified music outside.
Harkins also said he is worried about vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The curve at that point in Riverside Avenue has poor visibility and is dangerous for pedestrians to cross. In addition, the area has an unusually large number of children and cyclists because of its proximity to Memorial Park and pedestrians who live in nearby condominiums and single-family residences.
Another concern is Memorial Park Terrace, a residential alley 17 feet wide that connects Memorial Park Drive and Lancaster Terrace, both narrow streets.
“The city won’t collect trash on it,” Harkins said. “The city treats it as an alley. It’s not a street that should be used for regular access.”
Nancy Powell, an Avondale resident and member of RAP, said the concern is that people will drive around looking for parking and circle a small residential area connected by the alley.
Harden said the development will have more parking than the code requires and does not include on-street parking.
Fred Pope, a Riverside resident, said he has issues with the accuracy of the drawings of the buildings on the PUD proposal and doesn’t think there is enough parking. He said the parking requirements in the zoning code don’t reflect actual demand.
The PUD goes to a public hearing before the Planning Commission at 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6.
A City Council public hearing will be Tuesday, Aug. 11 followed by a Land Use and Zoning Committee meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The final public hearing and vote by the City Council will be Tuesday, Aug. 25.
By Lilla Ross
Resident community News
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