My neighbor just told me that 14 brand new row homes will be built at 11th and Fitzwater and they will be 60 feet tall! My neighbor on my block says that is 25 feet higher than the Zoning Laws allow but somehow, it was pushed through without anyone in Bella Vista being notified of what was going on.

Because the development is on the border, the Bella Vista Town Watch zoning group allowed Hawthorne Neighbors group to run with it and now, they're all supporting it and we're stuck. This completely blocks my roof deck view and light. The court hearing is set for next week sometime and my neighbor tells me no one knows the status. Does anyone know anything about these towers?

:what_is_:

Nothing like this can happen without a zoning variance. When you say "court hearing" do you mean the Zoning Board hearing? If so, all the immediate neighbors who don't like the proposal need to get to that hearing and make some noise. The ZBA will actually take immediate neighbors' feelings into account, but you have to be there.

Were the orange zoning signs put up?

Orange stickers were posted but never mentioned that the homes would be towers. Our local zoning group has decided to defer to Hawthorne, so we weren't informed of a meeting. My neighbor is organizing our block but he says our neighborhood zoning group are the only people the ZBA listens to. He said the ZBA won't even consider input from our civic association board. How could it even get that far without input from neighbors?

60 feet tall for a rowhome? Thats six stories. That would need a variance and a half. Its true that a civic association would have more clout, but the more people you can get to show up to a hearing, the better chance you will have of the Zoning Board taking your side. Don't give up without a little fight. Just make sure you find out the date of the hearing and show up.

__________________
- George -

http://www.barackobama.com

Why are 6 story rowhomes a problem?

Because residential zoning in the city typically forbids houses from being much taller than about 35-40 feet, I believe, depending on the block, and that's about the height of a 3-storey rowhouse. George is right, 6-storey houses would be way over the limit and I honestly can't imagine the ZBA allowing that with any kind of neighbor protest.

These things can't just "happen." Those who live nearby and are potentially impacted do have a say...you just have to show up at the hearing.

And as far as why, if 60 foot rowhomes were to be common, streets (especially small ones) would be sunless canyons.

One thought though - you may want to check the permit -
see whether that 60 feet is a reference to
HEIGHT or to ELEVATION...

Height generally is measured from curb to roof---
I.E. you're building a 60 foot tall house

Elevation is measured from sea level aka "City Datum" to roof -

If you're building a 30 foot ' tall house on land thats 30 feet above sea
level, it is at 60 foot elevation. If you build that same 30 foot tall house in Andorra which is 330 feet above sea level, it is at 360 foot elevation...

Check whether "60 feet" is measurd from curb, or from sea level...

Hal

I walked by the site and looked at the zoning sign today -- 5-story single family homes w/ cellar, proposed height of 58'. Them's big rowhouses!

Damn, that is big. Unless they fit in with their surroundings, I'd say that one should get the big thumbs-down. Get the neighbors out!