From: Karen Edwards Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 4:28 PM To: Karen Edwards Subject: FW: Mill Plaza - conceptual plan and extension/continuation * From: Meyrowitz, Joshua [] Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 4:09 PM To: Michael Behrendt Cc: Karen Edwards Subject: RE: Mill Plaza - conceptual plan and extension/continuation * Hi Michael, Regarding the “conceptual consultation application” for the new Plaza redevelopment proposal, you write below: “Citizens are welcome to submit email/written comments though if they like which will be forwarded to the board.” Can you clarify to whom exactly the comments to the Planning Board should be sent (to you and/or Karen?) and also – given the Thanksgiving holiday this week – when it is best for them to arrive? (That is, when will the advance PB packets be assembled, and how late can written comments arrive and still be given to the members before they hear the Plaza’s presentation?) Frankly, this new plan is so atrocious that I’m not sure residents will think that they need to prod the Planning Board much to take note of its obvious problems. So the PB may not get much advance mail. I think most residents will think that the Planning Board would dismiss this sadly back-stepping plan as a flagrant violation of Conditional Use criteria for housing in the Plaza and wildly out of step with the December 2015 Settlement regarding where housing should be concentrated. Also, it’s a real stretch to argue that this very different plan is part of the same design review process that was closed on June 14, 2017. (And if it really were simply the outgrowth of the same process, the applicant’s would not need any extension on finalizing the plan. That’s a bit of trying to have it “both ways.”) All this, I would think, would be obvious to the Planning Board without any letters from the public. But we’ll see. This is a sad moment in the 37-months of work on the redevelopment of the Plaza. If we could just get back to the type of “workshop” meeting we had between CDA and residents in the library in May 2016, where there was strong resident support for one of the CDA plans (though that plan was never formally put before the Planning Board), I think we could hammer out a good plan that met everyone’s desires (including CDA’s) with public-supported variances to get us a positive overall plan. If the public gets something resembling the “Durham Village Center” that CDA has been promising – and not just a student housing complex – we could all move together into a better future! I’m trying to remain hopeful. Best, j From: Michael Behrendt [mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us] Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2017 4:55 PM Subject: Mill Plaza - conceptual plan and extension/continuation * To interested parties, The Planning Board’s design review (preliminary review) of the Mill Plaza project was closed on June 14, 2017. Mill Plaza then applied for two variances that were needed under that plan – for a drive through for the pharmacy and for the height/configuration of uses in the buildings. The Zoning Board of Adjustment denied those two variances. Mill Plaza requested a rehearing and the ZBA approved a rehearing only on the height/configuration of uses which was to be heard this evening. Mill Plaza then withdrew that request (so this item will not be discussed tonight). Mill Plaza has now submitted a conceptual consultation application for a revised site plan that they believe does not require any variances. See the attached application and plan. This is presented for discussion only with the Planning Board on November 29. I concur that the attached plan would not require those two specific variances (though I cannot say whether other variances might be needed since this is just a conceptual plan and I have not conducted a zoning review of this proposal). Note that a first floor parking garage meets the requirement for first floor “nonresidential” as the prior Zoning Administrator determined that parking met this requirement (Whether or not we agree with that finding, it is the determination that applies for this project; we have since amended the Zoning Ordinance so that parking does not count as nonresidential). This plan will be presented to the Planning Board on November 29. There are no notices nor public hearings involved in a conceptual application so it will be up to the Planning Board whether they wish to accept public input at the meeting. Citizens are welcome to submit email/written comments though if they like which will be forwarded to the board. The attached plan shows: * Maintaining the Hannaford Building as now exists * Demolishing the rear building * Adding Building B with 2 floors of commercial and 2 floors of residential * Adding Building D with 1 floor of commercial and 2 floors of residential * Adding Buildings C, E, and F with first floor garage parking and 2 floors of residential * There would be 330 residential beds Mill Plaza has also requested an extension/continuation of the 12 month timeframe to submit a formal application after the close of design review (extending/continuing from June 2018 to November 2018). I am clarifying this process with the Town Attorney. Michael Behrendt Durham Town Planner Town of Durham 8 Newmarket Road Durham, NH 03824 (603) 868-8064 www.ci.durham.nh.us