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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We want to share information regarding Wilshire Blvd. Development and why so-called "A-lots" could result in more traffic and congestion in OUR Neighborhood. First, an Update on the A-lot / Residential lots on Wilshire. While Wilshire Blvd. is part of Mid City, development thereon impacts all neighborhoods in proximity to the Boulevard. The WIlmont Board prepared the following email to explain the current situation. We encourage Mid City residents to understand these issues and get involved. Planning Director David Martin did an overview of A-lots and residential lots on the north side of West Wilshire between 4th Court and 21st in Wilmont. These large parcels are behind almost every commercial building between 11th St and 16th St. Most of this land is now being used for parking lots. The land serves as “buffer zones” between Wilmont’s low rise, quiet neighborhoods and businesses on Wilshire. (Think of the big parking lot behind Vons, for example.) The Planning Director said that “somebody” has already converted most residential land from 11th to 16th on West Wilshire to commercial use! WHO DID THIS? The Planning Director said that Staff did this during the LUCE mapping process, but he didn't know exactly who it was or when it was done. He did say that the Commission would talk about it and the City Council would vote on it. (The LUCE is the City’s General Plan and that map is an official document.) But “somebody” already did this without any public process.This "somebody" also doubled, in some case tripled the size of parcels between Euclid and 16th St. – the exact site of the proposed 14th St. Activity Center! Was this a coincidence? What do you think? This means that: • Staff changed residential land to commercial without telling residents or the Planning Commission. • A narrow strip of commercial land along Wilshire is now a fat chunk of commercial land ripe for intense development - think Hines! • Commercial property can be developed much HIGHER and much DENSER than residential property. If the City Council votes to allow the A-lots to be converted to commercial land, the 14 St. Activity Center could be 70ft tall with an FAR (density) of 3.5. That’s higher and denser than the buildings Downtown or next to the Expo! Imagine 70’ buildings packed with retail and housing right next door to 23’ apartment buildings. Imagine 2,000-3,000 subterranean parking spaces underneath. Imagine a hotel with 24/7 valet and guests – all in our neighborhood. WHAT CAN YOU DO? STEP #1 EMAIL the City Council and Planning Commission. (Contact info below) • Ask them to reclaim all the A lots and residential land on Wilshire. Wilmont residents need a buffer between low density homes and commercial properties. • Request that they remove the 14th St Activity Center from the LUCE. Residents don’t want a hotel, mall and massive underground parking lot in a quiet family neighborhood. • Ask that Tier 3 (high/dense buildings) be eliminated from the LUCE. West Wilshire is far from the Expo and has limited bus service. They can balance housing and workforce without creating a parking and traffic nightmare in Wilmont. STEP #2 Get ready for the TOWN HALL. In a month or so, Staff will release the preliminary Zoning Update for the City. Called the “Redline”, this set of documents will present the Planning Commission and Staff’s recommendations to the City Council. Among other things, this report will cover: • 14th St Activity Center • Heights and Density for Wilshire • A-lots and residential lots At the Town Hall Meeting, you’ll be able to express your thoughts and concerns about the zoning for our neighborhood. After the Town Hall, the City Council will vote on the Zoning laws that will guide the city for the next 20 years. We’ll keep you posted on details, including the date! STEP #3. SAVE THE DATE: *****Next Wilmont Meeting. Tuesday April 1 Montana Library***** PLEASE EMAIL YOUR CONCERNS & IDEAS TO CITY HALL Place your main concern(s) in the SUBJECT LINE: EXAMPLE: 14th St Activity Center If you send an INDIVIDUAL email, you are much more likely to get a response! EXAMPLES: Dear Mayor O'Connor or Pam / Dear City Manager Gould or Rod, Commissioner Ries or Jim CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected], [email protected],[email protected],[email protected], rod.[email protected] Be sure to copy for the public record!:[email protected], [email protected] PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF Jim Ries <[email protected]>, Richard McKinnon <[email protected]>, Jenn Kennedy <[email protected]>, Sue Himmelrich <[email protected]>, Amy Anderson <[email protected]>, Gerda Newbold <[email protected]>, Jason Parry<[email protected]>,[email protected],[email protected],[email protected] Be sure to copy for the public record!: <[email protected]> Thank you for participating in shaping the future of our Neighborhood!
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