The Condo Project, and the role of the neighborhood group "NFSDTP"
In City Hall at the end of February the Board of Adjustment met to decide on permit requests for extra height and density for the proposed Chancellory Condominiums at the corner of Watts and Lamond Streets. The permits were not approved, largely due to the testimony of a group of neighbors who formed a group called NFSDTP (Neighbors for Sustainable Development in Trinity Park). The group presented independent drawings and evidence by experts which moved the Board of Adjustment to not approve the permits.
On the listserv, NFSDTP has been referred to as the *south-end neighbor group.* It is however, a group of Trinity Park neighbors, without any geographical limitations who support the legal and appropriate development of the former McPherson Hospital sites. These neighbors, most of whom are also members of the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association, stepped forward to hire legal representation at a time when no other legal counsel was representing the neighborhood, forming the non-profit NFSDTP in the process. The group sought reliable legal information to ensure that the rights of nearby neighbors in Trinity Park were protected, that city procedures were being followed, and that neighbor concerns were given a voice in the process. At the hearing, as a result of the compelling evidence presented to the Board of Adjustement by NFSDTP and the TPNA Board regarding negative impacts to the surrounding area, the condo developers pled to the Board of Adjustment (BoA) for a chance to meet with the neighbors to make changes to the project before a final vote. Several BoA members expressed a reluctance to consider the request for further negotiations, but the BoA finally decided to delay the vote until a future hearing. They instructed the developer to include both TPNA and NFSDTP in any negotiations and expects both groups to be satisfied with the changes to the project before it comes before the BoA again to take a final vote. The chairman made it clear that height and density were the prime issues that needed to be addressed and changed. The revised plan will, of course, also have to comply with all other provisions of the Unified Development Ordinance. If for whatever reason, the condo developers are not willing to conduct serious and constructive negotiations to come to agreement, it is likely that the BoA will deny the special use permit requests. In this case, the NFSDTP is confident that the height and density limits of the existing Ordinance combined with market forces will lead to sustainable development on these sites.
John Swansey, Board Member, NFSDTP nfsdtp@gmail.com
