1998-10-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

297 Ms. Richards noted that the Hampton Inn, recently built on West Main Street, had pledged to hire local people, and she said she hopes that the Marriott will be willing to make a similar pledge. Mr. Stiffier said that it is very likely that many of their employees will come from the neighborhood adjacent to the project. Mr. Cox said he feels that much more needs to be done with the project, and many suggestions have been made by the BAR Chair about how to enhance the project. Mr. Cox said he hopes that any decision made tonight will allow that to happen and that the developer will be willing to continue to work with the BAR. Ivlr. Cox said his questions are mostly architectural regarding the scale and context and the impact on the context. Mr. Cox said he feels the project can be enhanced and improved. Ms. Daugherty said she would like to express her support for the project for the following reasons: 1) It is a way to save the O'Keefe house. 2) The houses to be demolished are in extremely poor structural condition and it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair them which is not feasible. 3) The plans will enhance the adjacent historic townhouses, and the scale will set off the buildings on the same block. The additional landscaping and English gardens will enhance the Tea Room. 4) The development has been immensely improved by the BAR since changes have been made since the project was rejected by the BAR. 5) It will spark West Main Street, bringing more people and life to the street, and making it safer. 6) The City must work for better employment and the Marriott has been recognized as having some of the best employment practices in the country. Ms. Richards said that she thinks there has had to be a choice between less than perfect alternatives, and preservation of the Wertland house has been a priority for her. Ms. Richards said that the minutes of the BAR show that most of its members were struggling with the matter. Ms. Richards said that the guidelines are subject to interpretation, and she feels the BAR's involvement has yielded a lot of improvements and she is grateful to them. Ms. Richards said she could not find where all BAR members agreed that the project did not have merit and did not fit the guidelines. Ms. Richards said she feels the process needs more reliability and predictability and needs to be fine tuned. Ms. Richards said she feels Council owes it to the businesses on West Main Street to approve the project, and to help make the area a destination rather than a corridor. Ms. Richards said she would like to see continued dialogue between the developer and the BAR. Mr. Caravati said he has approached the issue in an historic context. The developer came forward in good faith and looked at the history of the area. Mr. Caravati said he would have liked to have seen a more comprehensive view of the project at the BAR level. Mr. Caravati noted that it is exactly the type of project that was envisioned by previous studies of West Main Street, including the Rawn report. Mr. Caravati said that this project is significantly under the B-5 height requirements. Mr. Caravati said he has found the process to be frustrating, noting that the applicant was not informed of why he was denied. Mr. Caravati said he supports the project and is hopeful that the good faith of the developers will come through. Mr. Caravati said that he believes the BAR has an absolute stake in the future and he hopes the project can be refined Mr. Toscano said he believes the presence of the BAR and the control district made for a better project. Mr. Toscano said he believes it is Council's job to work with anyone who wants to invest money in the City, and noted that the project has changed since it first came forward, partly due to the BAR's involvement. Mr. Toscano also noted that the Rawn report recommended a major massing and major building on exactly the site proposed, and developers should be able to rely on such historical documents as they develop their plans. Mr. Toscano said that West Main Street is not a residential street, and the project conforms to the guidelines regarding massing. Mr. Toscano said that while an underground parking structure may be desirable, many times that cannot be done because of the expense. Mr. Toscano said he agrees with Mr. Kuttner's comment about not setting a precedent and he does not think too much should be made of that issue. Mr. Toscano noted that of the eight BAR appeals heard by Council in the last ten