CLAYTON: Residents concerned about planned hotel/condo development
Project also would include six-level parking garage
RJ York has submitted plans for a $110 million, 23-story hotel and condo development that would include a six-level parking garage at Central and Maryland avenues.
The site is just down the street from Old Town Clayton.The hotel itself would be in Clayton's Central Business District, but the garage would not.
The proposal is similar to one made by a different developer in 1987 that was ultimately voted down by the then-Board of Aldermen.
The current board delayed a vote on the RJ York proposal at its meeting last week.
Residents in Old Town Clayton said they are concerned about the development's potential to negatively impact their home values, as well as adding traffic to already busy streets and negatively impacting Central Avenue's pedestrian-friendly environment.
Jim Kerely recently moved into a condominium a few blocks from where the development is planned. His parents, who lived in the neighborhood until the early 1990s, fought the first proposal in 1987.
Kerely said his biggest concern was the potential rezoning of residential property outside the Central Business District for the parking garage.
"I'm not wild about the hotel, either, but that is within the Central Business District and for the Board of Aldermen to decide," Kerely said.
Tyler Stephens, an architect with Core10 Architecture, said several design changes have been made in response to residents' concerns. A brick "skin" is planned for the exterior of the garage, which will keep the structure in line with the residential character of surrounding buildings, Stephens said.
Developers also pulled back the parking garage location to 28 feet from 5 feet from the property line of the residential neighborhood, he said.
Graybar Electric, a neighboring business, had also expressed concern the development would block sunlight and be too close to its building.
Developers pulled back the building location so there would be 30 feet between the two businesses and tapered the edge of the building to allow more sunlight, Stephens said.
Aldermen will look at the issue again at the board meeting July 8.
You can contact Erin Taylor at etaylor@yourjournal.com.
