17-75 Special Exception 806 Howard Street

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Carolyn Henry From: Rita Schmid <schmidrita @gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 9:31 PM To: Carolyn Henry Subject: Neighborly considerations for ABZA on 806 Howard St.petition Dear Carolyn, My name is Rita Schmid,and 1 live at 919 North Notre Dame Avenue.As our home is located within 300 feet of the property commonly described as 806 Howard Street,I'd like to express our opposition to the proposed expansion and change of use identified in a recently-filed zoning petition,and if you could pass these thoughts to the board for consideration,l would greatly appreciate your help.. While it came as a surprise that anyone would seek to expand and amplify such an example of structural incongruity in our neighborhood,I thought it best to approach the matter through the frame of the City of South Bend's Comprehensive Plan(which I understand is a critical factor in ABZA's recommendation as they assess a proposal's compatibility).Though it should be noted,l do concur wholeheartedly with my adjacent neighbors,the Haighs and Mustillos,in their overall assessments and personal impressions. In regard to Chapter 3:Land Use and Growth,Sections D and E of the City Plan,I disagree that the proposed changes support and abide by the city's stated objectives.In section D,the plan states that mixed-use developments can"benefit a community by helping create a sense of place"and"encourage the kind of pedestrian activity people enjoy about city life." It goes on to say that"housing units on a buildings upper floors provide population density,encouraging retail development on the ground floor...attracting more people to the area;more pedestrian activity helps create street life,an essential element of urban living." While these points may not contradict the proposal's validity,they certainly don't support it either.These benefits are already well ill place for our neighborhood thanks to many key factors,including the support of Notre Dame,the positive(and well-deliberated)development plans along Eddy Street,the city of South Bend,and our wonderful community of neighbors. Section E of the City's Comprehensive Plan on ensuring land compatibility,however,seems to express guidelines that this petition does not comply with. It states: "Ensuring compatibility of land uses helps maintain the quality of life of a community.Since a land use decision on any individual parcel will affect surrounding parcels of land,sound decisions have to be made to ensure that different land uses complement each other and create the best urban form...City government,land use experts,and the general public recognize that new developments need to integrate well with their surroundings. This is achieved by following a plan,incorporating characteristics of the surrounding area into file development,and establishing appropriate buffers,for example,green space and less intensive uses, to reduce land use conflicts." This building already does not integrate well into its surroundings.Adding 18 feet to the height and widening its allowable structural presence will certainly not help it to do so. Thank you for your consideration,and we look forward to discussing the matter further on December 6. Sincerely, Rita Schmid and Adam Rebolloso 919 North Notre Dame Avenue South Bend,IN 46617 1