The new Holiday Inn Express, next to TNBank, is a GO on first reading. It's been scaled down from 5 stories to 3, but it looks like this project might actually come out of the ground.
It's not as though there's never been commercial development in or around Woodland; it's always been right in the heart of Oak Ridge's business district. Once upon a time, as Tom Hayes noted, there was a grocery store and shopping center right in the middle of Woodland.
And Elm Grove, Jackson Square, on New York Avenue... I miss those little neighborhood shopping centers where the grocery store, drugstore, and barber shop were in walking distance.
I understand that no one in Woodland is likely to walk to the hotel, but it will be tastefully done, and will provide needed revenue to help get rid of some of those
less desirable businesses that have also established themselves in the neighborhood.
Kudos to our City Council for doing the right thing,
and to Clinton, for the same.
No one has mentioned that the church on Lafayette that recently had a large expansion of their parking lot, down to the edge of the creek. They seem to operate a daycare on site so the traffic and activity is not restricted to just Sunday morning. You would have thought that there would have been some opposition to this expansion into the Woodland community on the basis of noise, traffic, or increased runoff from the fresh asphalt. It is not covered by the restrictions written into the Illinois Av Corridor so there is no transition to the adjacent homes.
They did how ever put in a wet weather pond to catch the run off(in case it ever rains again). I believe they are required by law.I also believe that that the church owned that property to begin with and didn't have to tear down any existing buildings. Its also a church and not a hotel, theres a big differance. Same people more or less each week attending church and the entrance is off of Lafayette and has no direct access to the neighborhooed..
So are you saying that the nature of the enterprise makes a difference? Which ones are acceptable?
Are you also saying that enterprises on the outskirts of the neighborhood are OK? I know it seems like I'm just picking nits, but there are businesses in the heart of Woodland and a Bank next door to the hotel site.
The city has done a good job of protecting this neighborhood with the S Illinois Corridor Study which only allows commercial development along Illinois and no commercial access from the neighborhood side. It seems like a reasonable compromise in which the neighborhood stays viable and the commercial land owners along Illinois can develop under the restrictions of the study.
No I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is, if I had a vacant lot next to my property and I had a choice of a church or a hotel, I would pick the church (with or with out day care besides the laughter of children is music to my ears not that stuff they call music now) as would a lot of other people. I don’t live in Woodland but I can understand where they are coming from. I’m not trying to nit pick either nor start any fights since I’m new here just giving my opinion.
Yes I do also see where you are coming from.
There's no question that Illinois Avenue has become a busy place; the traffic noise alone must infringe on the neighborhood's peace. Given the choice between and empty lot and a tastefully-constructed hotel, it seems that the hotel will serve as a buffer against the noise and activity of the city's busiest commercial district and highway.
The neighbors of that church on Lafayette aren't exactly happy about that situation, either. I also suspect that if the church could do the project over with 20-20 hindsight, they probably would do things differently, but they followed city guidance to the best of their ability.
The church's stormwater detention basin was built right up against the lot line. If the neighbors don't want their kitchen windows and patios to overlook an ugly collection of riprap, they must devote a portion of their already-small lots to visual screening (for example, a row of evergreen trees).
As far as I know, there were no opportunities for pre-construction public input on the church's parking lot plans (none were required). Also, city staff says that city zoning ordinances do not require any buffer between churches and residential properties (something that may need to be revisited). City staff did some site plan review, but apparently did not enforce the zoning ordinance provisions that call for retaining natural vegetation along property lines and providing screening around "nuisances."
Your mileage may vary, but in my view, the fact that there is no buffer around a church parking lot expansion on the perimeter of Woodland does not justify adding commercial developments on the perimeter of Woodland that also are not effectively buffered from the neighboring residential properties.
(For the record, I voted against the rezoning for the hotel, due to concerns about traffic issues and impacts on the residential neighborhood.)
ellen:
You voted against the Target plan and now the hotel. Is there anywhere you see fit to put new business to bring revenue into the city? This city is not zoned like a normal city. There are no zoning restrictions that disallow a beauty parlor in a residential neighborhood. Why should it be any differant for a church or hotel?
Is the "ugly collection of riprap" part of a required storm drainage basin? If so, isn't there some way to manage stormwater other than the creation of a "nuisance?"
I object to these basins, which have become increasingly evident in our city in the last few years, due to the fact that 1) they ARE ugly, 2) they take up land that might be better utilized in another way, and 3) they tend to attract mosquitoes -- and we seem to foster the mosquito population quite well enough without any augmentation.
Is the "ugly collection of riprap" part of a required storm drainage basin? If so, isn't there some way to manage stormwater other than the creation of a "nuisance?"
I object to these basins, which have become increasingly evident in our city in the last few years, due to the fact that 1) they ARE ugly, 2) they take up land that might be better utilized in another way, and 3) they tend to attract mosquitoes -- and we seem to foster the mosquito population quite well enough without any augmentation.
Exactly! There are at least 2 beauty shops in Emory Heights. Where is the love? where is the balance?