Garden Homes Residents Veto Urban Renewal Plans

Residents of the Garden Homes subdivision on the city's northwest side have apparently vetoed any plans for an urban renewal project and wish to proceed with improvements privately. The City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing May 26 to determine just what the neighborhood sentiment is, and to find if the residents will support the R3 terrace apartment zoning recommended by the Planning Department staff. Garden Homes is without water and sewer service and is an area of deteriorating homes. It as annexed to the city a year ago and no way has been found to date the finance the needed improvements. The area totals 91 acres with some 78 living units. The Building and Safety Engineering Department reports that 80 per cent of these homes are unsuitable for rehabilitation. The average appraised value of homes in the subdivision is little more than $8,000, with a large number of homes below 87,500 (and would have go be demolished uneer Urban Renewal regulations). Planning Department Director Michael R. Prochaska told the commission yesterday afternoon that people in the area don't want urban renewal, stating they "want to go the special assessment route" for the installation of needed water and sewer lines. And R3 zoning on the 91 acre parcel would - if developed for terrace apartments - require the assemblage of 10 acres of land. This is the minimum site size for R3 developments under the zoning ordinance. Marvin Carlson, a member of the Planning Department staff who has been working with the Garden Homes residents, said special assessment costs would result in hardships to some of the residents but added there is "overwhelming resistance" to Urban Renewal. Also he said, the city cannot finance the projects. An R3 zoning would increase the value of the land substantially, Carlson said, and would allow a return on the investment if residents decided to sell. A 10-acre parcel in the subdivision would now be valued at about $31,000 and if zoned R3 would double to about $62,950. And with improvements, Carlson said, the same 10 acre parcel would be worth about $136,000. It was also reported there are unstable soil conditions in the area and that this would virtually make the construction of basements an impossibility. Arvil Patton, an inspector with the Building and Safety Engineering Department, said only two basements in the entire subdivision are dry. He said all of the homes were viewed, 59 also being inspected on the interior. Prochaska said he is opposed to an R4 multiple family zoning n the area, and is also opposed to a commercial zoning, adding hat R3 "is compatible." In other business yesterday, the commission approved annexation of the Holtzman & Silverman property totaling 12 acres on Plymouth Rd. across from Bishop. This parcel will be incorporated as "phase II" of the Village Green development which currently consists of 302 units with 138 to be added. The commission raised questions about the providing of sidewalks to the elementary school and also whether the lake included in the development plans should be given full credit for its "usable" open space. The motion to approve the annexation received six votes, while the motion to approve an R4D multiple family zoning failed when it received only five votes (six necessary for approval). Also, the commission was informed the series of meetings on the "Guide for Change" (the city's general development plan) will resume at 7:30 p.m Tuesday and continue until the plan is completed.