CLARIFICATION: University Park Homeowners Association President Joe Boisvert said the HOA supported the development after opposing the project in July and working with the developer over the last five months.
The Planning Commission unanimously voted in favor of a rezoning application for a 3-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Oberlin Road and Clark Avenue. Commissioner Isabel Mattox recused herself from the vote.
Though the project, 401 Oberlin, would be inconsistent with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, commissioners recommended approval because it adheres to the city’s urban design guidelines, it is consistent with the uses in the surrounding areas, the streetscape plan will mitigate any potential problems with the surrounding properties and it is a good transition from Cameron Village to the neighborhood, commissioners said.
The rezoning recommendation will be voted on by the City Council at the Oct. 4 meeting.
Building setback and heights for the proposed 401 Oberlin project.
The 401 Oberlin project is a mixed-use development that would house about 260 residential units and up to 14,000 square feet of retail space, but needed rezoning approval to move forward with the project.
The land – owned by Kenneth Hagler of Greenville – sits on two different zoning districts, residential-20 with a neighborhood conservation overlay and Office and Institution-1.
The developer requested to rezone the area as Shopping Center Conditional with a Pedestrian Business Overlay (PBOD). City Planner Travis Crane explained to the Record that a PBOD could potentially increase the density of the area to 320 units per acre and includes a streetscape plan.
Property proposed to be rezoned for the 401 Oberlin project outlined in black on the Raleigh Future Land Use Map
Upon review, Crane said that the project did not conform to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and the Future Land Use Map. The Future Land Use Map lists the property as Neighborhood Mixed Use, which is a mix of residential, office and retail space. He said the density is 14 – 28 units per acre, far less than what the developers are looking to build.
The issue went to City Council in July and was criticized by the University Park Homeowners Association because of its inconsistency with the comprehensive plan.
