Property History

PALADIN PROPERTIES FIRST PROPOSAL (withdrawn)

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Paladin Properties, LLC, is under contract to purchase 3.37 acres from a private owner. In its first proposal, Paladin wanted to build 22 detached, single-family homes on the curve in Keswick Park. After subtracting the half-acre the developer was to “give back to the city” because it’s not feasible to develop, the density of nearly 8 homes per acre would have been twice that of Keswick Village and Sexton Woods. Currently, the property is zoned O-I with conditions that include additional landscaped buffers along the eastern, northern, and western property lines, and no curb cut on Keswick Drive. In 1989, when a car dealership was proposed on the property, these conditions were added to ensure Keswick Park would be buffered from that property use.

1989 ZONING CONDITIONS

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Paladin Properties wanted the council to remove those conditions plus they wanted a setback variance to allow them to build 13 of the 22 houses with a setback of only 5 feet from the right-of-way. At this setback, the front steps of these houses would have been no more than 7.5 feet from the sidewalk. They also wanted a variance to reduce the lot line to zero from 10 feet, so the houses would be less than 6 feet apart.

Current Situation Status

At the city council’s last meeting on July 19, 2005, the council was scheduled to vote on removing the protective conditions placed on the O-I zoning in 1989, the first step the developer needed to proceed. Because of concern from citizens and the city planner over the setback and lot line variances the developer planned to request, the council voted unanimously to table the vote on removing the O-I conditions. We agree with one city official who said, “The ordinances are rules, not suggestions.”

CITY PLANNER RECOMMENDATIONS

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First Proposal Withdrawn

The following excerpt is taken from an e-mail sent by the City Manager on August 2, 2005:

"George Banks, Paladin Properties, the developer, has sent a letter to the City planner withdrawing the current petition to change the zoning on the 3.37 acres adjoining Keswick Park. He can petition in the future if he revises the development plan. Should he re-file, as required by the zoning ordinance, another public notice would be posted on the property as well as in the Champion newspaper and on the City web site and a public hearing will be held on the new petition and plan. This item will appear on the August agenda for the minutes to reflect that the petition was withdrawn... Should another petition/plan be filed, I will notify all of you via e-mail."

We anticipate that Paladin will present a revised proposal to the City Council soon. This new proposal is expected to be more in line with the current O-Ic zoning and conditions. It is our understanding that the developer intends to seek the same or higher density and believe his next strategy may be to revamp his proposal to build essentially the same development under the current zoning or an R-1A zoning. Neither of these would require the developer to seek any variances!! R-1A zoning would also allow 8 homes/acre with little to no setback increases and no natural landscape buffer between the homes and Keswick Drive. Furthermore, homes built under the current O-Ic zoning could be used for commercial purposes in the future. Concerned Citizens have several questions about a proposal of this sort, click here to view them.