Proposed Development of Walnut Street Mill

[Doug Buda]

An article in the Johnson City Press details the plans for development of the old General Mills on Walnut Street. Four, four-story buildings with 160 apartment units and 280 parking spaces.

http://johnsoncitypress.com/article/112042/four-story-apartment-com...

[Amber Floyd Lee]

I know a lot of people are really excited about something happening at the Mill. I am too! I had some concerns about the development and the variance, and I sent the letter below to Mr. Mabrey. I have received a response that the project has been removed from tomorrow morning's Board of Zoning Appeals agenda and that he will continue the conversation in the following days.

We will meet on the 18th at 5 pm before our regular meeting if anyone wants to address these concerns.

Mr. Mabrey, 

Thank you for the presentation with the Southside Neighborhood Organization this week. We also appreciate you giving out your number and saying you were willing to come to our homes to meet with us if we had questions. To that end, many of us still had questions when the presentation was ended. While I am personally very excited to see something positive occur at the historic Model Mill/ General Mills property, I too, have questions. Here are some of the questions that I have and some that others have asked me since the presentation. Please respond to this email and I will forward your answers on to my neighbors.

Rehab

The economy is cited as the reason the Mill was not rehabbed as planned by the Chamber. The economy has changed for the better, and the environment surrounding the Mill on all sides has improved. It seems that we are not at the desperation point now. The Chamber of Commerce indicated they had done everything they could to find a developer who could "make the numbers work" on a rehab and could not.

1. What specific developers did the Chamber approach to rehab the Mill? 
2. When exactly did the Chamber approach the developers to rehab the Mill?

Commercial Variance

Current Walnut Street/State of Franklin zoning allows residential use, but requires that street level be commercial use. The developer Evolve Development, LLC is asking for a zoning variance for a huge portion of commercial frontage.  The Tree Streets and downtown could be completely walkable neighborhoods. Evolve proposes adding approximately 400 more residents. (No one really knows the exact number because the plan is vague). Those tenants will need to buy tylenol and peanut butter.  I understand that the Chamber wants to get the Mill off the books, but perhaps Evolve is not the right apartment developer if they refuse to consider the current code or any commercial development on the street level at this time. 

1. What specific developers has the Chamber of Commerce approached to raze the Mill that would develop it without the need for a zoning variance? 
2. When did the Chamber approach developers to raze the Mill to develop it without need for a zoning variance? 

Student Housing

Evolve is known for developing student housing, so I have concerns that the Mill property will be student housing instead of "high end" apartments marketed toward families, professionals and ETSU employees as you and Mr. Austin stated. As a Tree Streeter, I love our historic, diverse, mixed-income neighborhood filled with all ages and professions and students. Johnson City already has other apartment complexes geared toward students offering short-term leases that have become nuisance properties. Our concerns are valid.

1. Who will the management company be?
2. Will they offer any leases that are less than 12 months?
3. Will they be rented by the room or by the unit?
4. Developer Scott Austin stated that they plan to enforce a strict 1-person per bedroom rule. 
5. Have you included this 1-person provision in the sales agreement with Evolve? a.) Are married people and couples not going to be able to live in this complex? b.) Has he or you considered the legality of this? c). How are families going to live there if there is only one person in each bedroom? 
6. Scott Austin said that this is NOT being marketed to students, and to that end there would be families (hence the three bedroom units). I asked him if there would be any green spaces and a playground. He said yes, and they planned to have open green space, a playground and a basketball court that were not on the current rendering. I followed up and asked about connection to the recreation trail, and he said the development would connect to it. He also said he would have a new rendering showing these before Tuesday's BZA meeting. We have not seen that. a.) Do you have a copy of that updated rendering?  b.) Will you please attach a copy of that updated rendering to your response to this email? c.) Why were these things not on the initial rendering?
7. I visited the Evolve Development, LLC website and under the "Who We Are" section they list their Student Apartment Developments. Evolve's plans for off-campus student housing The Waverly Apartments and 808 West look suspiciously like what is being proposed here in Johnson City.

Western Carolina University's 808 West and Shaw's The Waverly are "high end" one, two and three-bedroom, off-campus, student apartments. They are rented by the room and do roommate matching, much like a dorm. I would appreciate your candor, Mr. Mabrey. Is this truly what is being proposed at the Mill location?

Parking and Commerce

1. Mr. Austin stated that there would be "a parking space for every bed." Four buildings are being planned, each housing 40 units. 4 x 40 = 160. The fifth building at the Mize location would add an additional 40 units totaling 200 units. Evolve has stated they will provide 280 parking spaces. a.) Since the apartments are supposed to be one, two, and three-bedroom units and we currently have no rendering of how many of each number are supposed to be in each building, can you make an assurance to us that there will not be more that 280 bedrooms in all these structures? b.) If not, where are these tenants going to park? c.) Will the overflow go on Maple Street, Pine Street and along Southwest? d.) Will the Walnut Street business owners be required to tow them away?
2. Why has Evolve (or the Chamber) not presented the floor plans to the public if the Chamber and Evolve plan to close the sale and commence demolition within 60 days? 
3. Shouldn't the Board of Zoning Appeals have this information to make a full and informed decision? 
4. Isn't this information you should have as it impacts our business community along Walnut and downtown greatly? Obviously the floor plans of each building have been created at this point.

Traffic

I saw no plans for modifying the traffic flow. 

1. Has this been considered? 
2. Who will pay for the entrance and exit traffic lights necessary to accommodate hundreds of cars? 

Demolition

Regarding the demolition, it was stated that architectural elements and historically significant items from the Mill would be salvaged. 

1. What salvage company will be doing this? 
2. What will happen to the items? 
3. Will this occur before or after the property changes hands? 
4. Will they be donated to the city or the Chamber? 
5. Will they stay in the local area? 

The Mill sits directly between two protected historic districts, and it itself is a historically significant property. The Tree Streets historic district is only here now because of the efforts of some diligent individuals years ago to change the zoning in our neighborhood. And as a small business owner on a fruitless search for a larger office space in the downtown vicinity, it is a hard pill to swallow that there will be no commercial space at all on the first floor- especially with the Chamber of Commerce's blessing. Our zoning code is there for a reason. 

Many of my neighbors are very excited about the project, any project for that matter, because they are tired of the way the Mill has been maintained over the years. It drags down our property values. I don't like it either. But I do want to make sure that before we rush to tear down a historic structure less than a week after presenting it to the community that all of our questions are answered and this project is the right fit for Johnson City and our neighborhood. Our city waited and found an investor with the creativity and vision to take on the train depot. And that has invigorated the whole of downtown, and probably this project as well. I am not saying that this is not the right project for the Mill, but we should have these questions answered first. 

I really do not like to give deadlines in correspondence, but there is an urgency on this project since the project goes before the BZA early Tuesday morning. Would please respond to this email by Monday at noon so I may distribute the answers to the neighbors I represent? I really appreciate your time and attention in answering the questions that you did not have an opportunity to address at the presentation.

Sincerely,

Amber Floyd Lee

 

723 W. Pine Street

Southside Neighborhood Organization

Housing and Community Development Advisory Board 

Attorney at Law

Cox and Lee, PLLC

300 East Main St., Suite 159

Johnson City, TN 37601

423-631-0326 phone

423-631-0329 fax

www.coxandlee.com