UPDATE: A PUBLIC MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 31. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The proposed 288-unit Broadstone Lake House project, that we’ve written about previously HERE, was denied a request for a density bonus by the Municipal Planning Board at the March 21 meeting.
The project had requested a density bonus, as well as height and setback modifications, based on the planned addition of 12 live/work units, which they had hoped would qualify them as a mixed-use development. A mixed-use project would be allowed to have upwards to 400 units on the parcel.
If presented as a solely residential project, Broadstone would be relegated to 181 units.
The MPB granted the applicants, Alliance Realty Partners, LLC, a month continuance and deferred their decision in order for the project team to touch base with community members again and to rethink their project; a 10-story lakeside apartment building on the site of the Baldwin-Fairchild Chapel.
According to MPB members, the largest concern was that since the tower didn’t incorporate retail or restaurants, it did not strictly present itself as a mixed-use project, or offer enough back to the community.
Eight people spoke against the project at the board meeting, including Gordon Spears and Michael Rizzo of the Lake Formosa Neighborhood Association, and College Park residents as well. A Change.org petition had collected 310 signatures at the time of this post.
The project had been marked for approval by the City’s assigned project planner, Michaelle Petition.
The project will be brought before the MPB on April 18, in one month’s time.
Editor’s Note: We are unsure at this time if the project developers will try for another density bonus with more mixed-use elements, like a restaurant or cafe, or if they will scale back their original design.
