Photographed on Oct. 22, these trees will likely give way to a housing development under a zone change the city council approved Wednesday.
Residents south of Grand Prairie Road just learned what people elsewhere in Albany learned before: You can’t rely on comprehensive plans or zoning to keep your neighborhood composed of only single-family homes.
The city council voted 4-2 Wednesday to approve a change in the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning of a parcel at 3016 Grand Prairie S.E.. The change from low-density to medium-density zoning would allow development of the 2.8-acre parcel for apartments or townhouses.
Council members Steph Newton-Azorr and Matilda Novak voted “no.”
No specific development has been proposed. But when the planning commission considered the request, someone said the parcel was big enough for about 70 townhouses.
During a hearing before the council vote, a couple of neighbors objected to the change. They had several points, and one said he had relied on the neighborhood zoning when he bought his house.
But state law essentially has abolished single-family zoning, and the application met the requirements of the city development code. Councilor Ray Kopczynski said the council wasn’t about to go against state law.
The council also approved an environmental review of the change, required because the land borders Periwinkle Creek. A neighbor opposed the loss of wildlife habitat. He said eagles had been seen in the trees on the property.
Part of the site has been the target of city efforts to get rid of junk. The council was told the owners had agreed to clean the site before any development is proposed.
The council wanted the cleanup to be a condition of approval. But the staff said the city would issue no permits for the site until the junk issue is resolved. (hh)
The site looked like this from a neighboring church parking lot on Oct. 22. The city has been trying to get the stuff cleared away.
The property at 3016 Grand Prairie Road, for which the council approved a zone change to medium-density housing.
I hate to see the trees go and the eagles displaced. But, people are the dominant species on this planet and at the top of the food chain. And, as Mark Twain said, “People are no damned good.”
So, has the property been checked for an eagle nest? Eagles return to the same nest year after year, repairing and adding to it as needed. They are here! I see them from time to time along the Periwinkle bike path. I even caught a pair in a scuffle over a particularly nice branch on a tree at the end of Columbus where there is an access path into Periwinkle Park.
Hope you can find out sometime Hasso when they might improve/realign the section of onetime sleepy little Three Lakes Rd between Grand Prairie and Home Depot. It was once a nice shortcut but with all the building in South Albany, it’s become busier than I-5 to the west. I don’t know if that’s a city or county issue.
Greed!!! GREED!
as far as the eye can see….STOP BUILDING! START REPAIRING!!!
RECALL OUR MAYOR!!!
Albany ok’s a lot of property for multiple housing.
But what about the roads???
Builders should pay to improve the roadway.
Hasso Hering.
Would you comment please on the impact all the construction of apartment buildings in SE Albany has on (Especially on Geary Street by Periwinkle Creek.) Periwinkle School. Are they planning on enlarging the school to accommodate the students that could potentially be living in those apartments?
Does the city council take this into consideration when they approve the various areas of construction, whether it be single family homes, townhouses, and or apartments?