The Urban Dweller: A Publication by Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Inc., Issue 11

              The Urban Dweller is a monthly publication of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods
April 81
THE UDBAN DWELLED
ISSUE   11
Developer of Luxury Cheesman High-Rise Condominium
Makes Several Concessions: CHUN Suggests More
After encountering unexpected resistance
from CHUN to its request to have a city
alley vacated, a Canadian developer has
tentatively agreed to abide by certain
conditions in exchange for CHUNfs promise
to halt its opposition.
The developer needs the land in the alley
in order to follow through on its plans to
erect a luxury, 20-story, 38-unit tower in
the northwest corner of Cheesman Park.  The
site, along 13th Avenue between Franklin and
Gilpin Streets, is currently occupied by
three houses and the Emily Griffith School
for Boys.
The written agreement being considered by
the developer and CHUN would provide the
developer will not build higher than 20
stories if it gets the land in the alley;
open-space will be maintained and no walls
will be built surrounding the property;
all parking (except for four spaces) will be
underground; and the developer will donate
the buildings on the site and the cost it
would cost to demolish them to a nonprofit group, provided they can be moved
prior to the time set for construction.
In addition to these conditions, the CHUN
board voted to recommend to Citycouncil-
woman Cathy Donahue that the city consider
requiring more concessions from the
developer before agreeing to vacate the
alley.
One recommendation was that the developer
be required to pay the relocation costs of
the people who will be displaced when the
existing houses are razed.
A second recommendation was that the
developer be required to compensate the
community in some way for the value it
would be receiving in obtaining the vacated
alley.  It was suggested that the developer
be required either to pay the city the fair
market value of the land in the alley (the
2000 square feet may be worth as much as
$80,000) or to deed back or provide an
easement to the city an equivalent amount of
open-space.
A spokesperson for the developer at the board
meeting indicated his client would not be
willing to agree to any of the additional
conditions.
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