200 Market St.
Developers who had been seeking a 12-story building at 200 Market St. told members of the Planning Commission on Monday they had compromised and had a new six-story design.
The planning panel voted 6-4 to deny rezoning for the only plan before it – a zone that would allow up to 14 stories. Other members of the Planning Commission wanted the case deferred for a certain time period.
Officials of Kronos Capital said they will likely seek deferral before the case goes to the City Council about a month from now. With a denial, the case cannot be refiled until after nine months.
Cherry Street neighbors spoke against the development, including attorney Rich Hitchcock and former Aquarium president Charlie Arant. Others from the Cherry Street Townhomes in opposition included June Scobee Rodgers, founder of the Challenger Center.
Attorney Hitchcock said Cherry “is a unique street with townhomes up and down it.” He said reworking the proposal before it is ready to come back for review “will take every bit of nine months.”
Mr. Arant said, “We love living downtown. We are all for downtown progressing in a proper way.” He said the Kronos building would have a place “but not where it’s being proposed.”
Helen Burns Sharp, who heads the Downtown Homeowners group and who also lives nearby, said, “This is the wrong lot for the proposed building,” and she said it “would stick out like a sore thumb.”
She said, “This is much more than a neighborhood issue. This is about sound planning and design principles” for the future of downtown.
Abbie Cook of Kronos said the brick building at the corner of Market and Aquarium Way (2nd Street) is zoned commercial for a six-story building. But she said a rear lot is zoned residential with a four-story limit. She said both lots were needed at six stories.
Bryan Shults of the planning staff said the Downtown Plan includes tall buildings at its center, but is stepped down toward the river.
City Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley said, “I stand with the Cherry Street neighbors on this.” She said the tall building was “not suitable for the location.”
Ethan Collier, Planning Commission chairman, advised Kronos officials, “If you had watched a few Planning Commission meetings, you could have avoided a lot of this.”
Chris Anderson, of the mayor’s staff, made the motion for denial, saying the group should have shared the new design with the neighbors first.
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