- November 27, 2024
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If you build it, they will come. That’s either a problem or a promise, depending on your viewpoint. Will a multi-story building with shops on the first floor turn New Britain Avenue into a vibrant, popular strip like Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach? Or will it ruin the character of the nearby historic district and cause more traffic problems?
The final decision on whether a developer can go above two stories on the street located between busy, bustling Granada Boulevard and quiet, historic Lincoln Avenue is set for Feb. 7 in City Commission Chambers at City Hall. Previous meetings have heard arguments both pro and con.
Ellen Needham, a resident of Lincoln Avenue, hopes many people come out to encourage the city to keep the two-story height, saying it was put in place in 2010 to protect the historic district to the north.
“We’re not asking for special treatment; we’re just asking the city to stick to the development code,” she said.
Needham and her husband, Jonathan, bought their home, which has a plaque saying “1915,” about 25 years ago and fixed it up.
“We like old homes,” she said. “They have character.”
The law requires two public hearings. At the first public hearing of the height change on Jan. 17, the City Commission voted in favor of raising the height limit to three stories. Also, a developer can go up to five stories, if they go through a Planned Business Development, which would require design approval from the city and input from neighbors. The second and final vote is set for Feb. 7.
Speakers at previous meetings, and several viewers of the Observer Facebook page, have said parking and traffic is now a problem in the area and more residents would make it worse.
Glenn Storch, attorney for the developer, Highlander Corp., said that a development could alleviate the problem. He said there will be parking along a widened New Britain Avenue and more parking will likely be part of the plan.
“This would give us a chance to solve the parking problem and traffic flow,” he said. “There will be a traffic study.”
Ellen Needham is skeptical.
“Where will the parking be for the restaurants and shops? What about the workers?” she asked.
The Needhams point out high-rise buildings in the city that will bring more residents, such as the four-story apartments on Williamson Boulevard near Tanger Outlets and the condominium being constructed on Sterthaus Drive.
“It will be a pleasant downtown and a beautiful street to walk down.”
GLENN STORCH, attorney
“Build ‘till you bust,” she said. “Don’t make the city better just make it more crowded. When we moved here, it was so quiet and charming.”
She said a New Britain high-rise could set a precedent for building next to residential areas.
But Storch describes a pleasant downtown. He said to imagine the restaurants, which now face Granada Boulevard, facing New Britain Avenue, and imagine shops and restaurants on the first floor of the new mixed-use building.
“It will be a pleasant downtown and a beautiful street to walk down,” he said.
The city has shared Storch’s vision, building wastewater retention under the park on Lincoln Avenue to make development on New Britain Avenue viable.
The Needhams believe their property will go down in value if a high-rise, multi-family building is constructed adjacent to their lot. No decision has been announced on whether they will be apartments or condos.
Storch said he would expect nearby property values to of go up, just like New Smyna Beach, if New Britain turns into a vibrant street of shops and restaurants.
“That’s a lot of ‘ifs’,” said Jonathan Needham, when told of Storch’s comment.
The Needhams don’t believe a residential building overlooking restaurants and a parking lot would be desireable, while others say it would attract millennials and seniors looking for an active location to live.
“When we moved here, it was so quiet and charming.”
ELLEN NEEDHAM, nearby resident
The main worry for the Needhams is a five-story building, 60 feet away from their property line. The developer has proposed a buffer equal to the height of the building.
Storch said five stories would likely be 50 feet, possibly higher in areas for architectural features.
The Needhams tied a balloon 60 feet high at the back of their property to visualize the height. Even if moved back 60 feet for the buffer, it appears that it would still overlook their yard.
“It’s a complete invasion of our privacy,” Ellen Needham said.
Bill Jones, owner of Highlander Corp., told the commissioners that any proposed buildings would be at various heights.
This was encouraging for the Needhams, who suggest the higher part should be adjacent to the park on Lincoln Avenue.
Storch said in a planned business development, the developer, city and neighbors would work together.
“There are ways to make this work,” he said.
