I'll keep this one brief.
Looking back to September 1, 2015, we find city officials answering prospective Breakwater parking concerns. The critical passage is underlined.
New Albany apartments receive zoning approval, by Daniel Suddeath (Free pass for DNA Digest)
Project cost now up to $26 million
... New Albany Planning Director Scott Wood acknowledged there will likely be a "battle" for on-street parking, but added that's a concern Flaherty and Collins will have to address if it becomes a problem.
Residents moving into a higher market-rate facility will expect adequate parking, and if it's not provided, the apartment owner will hear about it, Wood continued.
"It's going to regulate itself," he said.
He added the apartments constructed adjacent to Sam Peden Community Park were also approved with a parking unit ration of just more than one-to-one per unit, and that the proposed development downtown is in a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
AT&T, which has a location across from the development, donated a 24-space lot to the city to be utilizes specifically for the development.
Flaherty and Collins — which had initially announced a $16 million project before additional features were added bringing the cost to $26 million — also has plans for a 1,600 square foot retail space on the site.
It will likely be occupied by a coffee shop or small restaurant, and would only require eight spaces under city ordinance, representatives with the development team said.
The New Albany City Council approved in July a financing package that will allow Flaherty and Collins to payoff up to $4.9 million in debt for the development utilizing tax dollars earned through the project. The developer will be allowed to use tax-increment financing, or TIF, funds raised through the increased property values from the site to pay back the debt.
The New Albany Redevelopment Commission voted to include the Coyle property in a TIF district prior to the bond vote by the council.
So, if Breakwater residents park across Spring Street amid one of the most poorly maintained corporate structures in the city, the most direct path to their cars does not involve walking one or two blocks east or west, then doubling back, but heading right across the street -- a street recently rebuilt without crosswalks in this spot.
But didn't we just vanquish one-way streets for the stated purpose (among others) of eliminating unnecessary "round the block" trips for drivers?
What about walkers?
Moreover, shouldn't the stop light (or four-way stop) be at 8th Street, not 7th, and shouldn't there be an "enhanced" (hint: enforced) crosswalk opposite Breakwater?
Mark my words: two-way calming effects aside, vehicular speed once again will become an issue on Spring Street from 15th to 7th, and from 7th to 4th, and as high speeds pertains to the latter, it will be on a stretch of street running between 200 - 300 apartment residents and the most direct route both to parking and downtown amenities.
It makes very little sense, though it probably testifies to Jeff Gahan's befuddled desire to do the impossible by making the city walkable without inconveniencing drivers.
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Previously:
Grid Control, Vol. 24: Deliver me this.
Grid Control, Vol. 23: City's fuddy-duddies losing their minds as the debut for a two-way Spring Street is pegged at August 29.
Grid Control, Vol. 22: City engineer Larry Summers answers our questions about intersection striping errors and the "No Trucks" sign removal.
Grid Control, Vol. 21: Murderous intersection at Spring & 10th to be repaved and restriped -- and, the hocus-pocus with a disappearing "No Trucks" sign at Spring & Vincennes.
Grid Control, Vol. 20: As Team Gahan dawdles, another bicyclist is crushed into mincemeat at 10th & Spring's dangerous dogleg.
Grid Control, Vol. 19: In a positive move, HWC begins righting the wrong cross hatching on Spring Street.
Grid Control, Vol. 18: Finally a few BoW street grid project answers, almost all of them citing "contractor error."
Grid Control, Vol. 17: Judging by the misdirection of this "CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP" sign, we now reside in the British Empire.
Grid Control, Vol. 16: What about HWC's cross hatching correction? Will this be finished before or after Team Gahan declares victory?
Grid Control, Vol. 15: Dooring enhancement perfectly epitomizes Deaf Gahan's "biking last" approach to grid modernization.
Grid Control, Vol. 14: Yes, you can still park on the south side of Spring Street during the stalled two-way grid project.
Grid Control, Vol. 13: "Dear Deaf Gahan and minions: FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, STOP TRYING TO BE COOL AND DESIGNER-ISH. YOU'RE NOT, AND IT'S EMBARRASSING ALL OF US."
Grid Control, Vol. 12: Meet the artistic crosswalk design equivalent of dogs playing poker.
Grid Control, Vol. 11: HWC Engineering meets with St. Marks, city officials nowhere to be found.
Grid Control, Vol. 10: City officials predictably AWOL as HWC Engineering falls on its sword over striping errors.
Grid Control, Vol. 9: "This was supposed to be discussed with us," but Dear Leader doesn't ever discuss, does he?
Grid Control, Vol. 8: City Hall characteristically mum as HWC Engineering at least tries to answer the cross-hatching question.
Grid Control, Vol. 7: What will the Board of Works do to rectify HWC's striping errors on the north side of Spring Street, apart from microwaving another round of sausage biscuits?
Grid Control, Vol. 6: Jeff Speck tweets about NA's grid changes, and those missed bicycling opportunities.
Grid Control, Vol. 5: Egg on HWC Engineering's well-compensated face as it botches Spring Street's westbound bike buffer cross hatching.
Grid Control, Vol. 4: But this actually isn't a bus lane, is it?
Grid Control, Vol. 3: TARC's taking your curbside church parking, says City Hall.
Grid Control, Vol. 2: Southsiders get six more parking inches, but you gotta love those 10-foot traffic lanes on Spring.
Grid Control, Vol. 1: You people drive so freaking horribly that someone's going to die at Spring and 10th.
Notice the byline on the NT article. Back when there was a newspaper that had an actual reporter for NA. And newspapers wonder why their business is down. You can only cut so much, eventually any business has to offer something. CJ has the same problem.
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