On Franklin Avenue near Airport Road on July 17. The trees are to be replaced by a housing development.
The brush has been cleared away, and pretty soon the oaks and other mature trees will come down as well on Franklin Avenue just west of Airport Road and Interstate 5.
On Aug. 3, the Albany Planning Commission will hold a public hearing — a virtual hearing, online only, starting at 5:15 — on a request to develop part of the 6.5-acre parcel at 840 Airport Road as a housing project with 44 apartments (in four two-story buildings) and 11 single-family houses, 55 units in all.
The property is zoned RS-5 or single-family residential. The owners, who live in St. Paul and bought the property in 2015, obtained a zone change last year that allows a slightly higher density than the previous zoning, which also was single-family residential.
Now they are asking for approval of a planned-unit development, a land division, and a permit to fell trees.
The city’s notice of the public hearing describes the 44 apartments as “multi-family senior housing units.”
The property is across Airport Road from the freeway, so noise is a consideration. The plans show two “lines of noise mitigation.” The first is formed by more than 100 English laurels planted along the Airport Road frontage. The second is formed by a row of garages.
Will that work to muffle the road of tires and motors on I-5? The seniors living there will find out when they move in. (hh)
I told you about this a month ago. You’re welcome. :)
I live in Clover Ridge Station 2,700′ in a straight line from the freeway using Google Maps measuring tool. The freeway noise is always in the background so I can’t even imagine what it would be like in that location. I suppose one would get used to it though.
Developers win at the City council and county commissioners. I shudder to think about the quality of life in five years in this town.
It’s what happens when there’s a shortage of integrity and a willingness to defer to increased – fees – taxes – profits (you name it) and the default mode is to kick the can down the road and let “somebody else” worry about intangibles and liveability.
Liveability is only valuable if there’s a way to capitalize on it. It’s not valuable if it means leaving well enough alone.
H.H., we live near 13th & Powell. Our morning coffee break on our patio facing east can’t help but take in the I-5 noise. I don’t think a 100k’s of English Laurel’s will do much good to prevent noise abatement! Sad to see open land made into development opportunities.
Maybe tie a yellow ribbon a thousand times around your bike and the poor tree with will meet its demise soon. Sad. Ten thousand times because you can’t stop progress.
Mother Earth will soon. If covid virus doesn’t first. wink
Always sad to see trees go down for development.
Years ago they said that property is all marsh. That the father son duo that bought it were conned into it and there was no way anyone could ever build on it? What changed?
The portion of the property that qualifies as “wetlands” will not be built on.