In tomorrow’s worksession, the City Council will discuss the Metropolitan Development at Route 1 and Cherokee Street.
The original DSP for this project was submitted by JPI Development Services, LP and was called Jefferson Square at College Park. It was approved by the District Council on March 6, 2007 with conditions. The City entered into a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement with the applicant which was never recorded as the subject property was not purchased and the project was not developed. DSP’s are typically not valid beyond three years, however, the District Council has extended the validity period for county DSP’s until December 31, 2013 (legislation is pending to extend this period further).
Metropolitan Development Group has submitted a DSP application to MNCPPC in order to make some changes to the already approved plans. The Planning Board hearing is scheduled for December 5, 2013.
Elevation from Route 1
Current site from Route1
The following table summarizes the differences between the previous approved plan and the proposed amended plan. The Detailed Site Plan (DSP) is being reviewed for compliance under the 2002 sector plan not the 2010 plan.
| Approved Plan | Amended Plan | |
| Total units | 205 | 283 |
| Townhomes (Total) | 45 | 55 |
| 16′ wide | 0 | 31 |
| 20′ wide | 30 | 24 |
| 24′ wide | 15 | 0 |
| Multi-family (Total) | 160 | 228 |
| Studio | 0 | 39 |
| 1 bedroom | 77 | 93 |
| 2 bedrooms | 67 | 96 |
| 3 bedrooms | 16 | 0 |
| Building Height | 5 stories | 3-6 stories 1 |
| Proposed Lot Coverage | 128,938 sf | 130,441 sf |
| Percent | 70.20% | 71%2 |
| Total parking spaces | 592 | 398 |
| Loading spaces | 3 | 23 |
| Retail space | 41,500 sf | 4,133 sf |
We have a few concerns about the proposed changes, especially in the areas of parking and the reduced number of retails. We plan to meet with residents and developers and discuss those concerns.
