Neighbors’ protests against plans to open a 24-hour Walgreen’As at the northeast corner of Royal and Greenville have convinced developer Craig Evans to drop the project.
About 12 neighborhood associations joined together to fight the development, which would have required rezoning to allow retail. The property is zoned for office and neighborhood use.
After a series of meetings with neighborhood residents, Evans chose to abandon the plans and the City was informed of his decision. The case officially was closed in October when a City board unanimously voted to deny the rezoning request "without prejudice," which allows the property owners to later seek zoning changes.
Michael Quilling, a neighborhood resident and attorney who served as spokesman for the neighborhood groups opposed to the rezoning, says he respects how Evans resolved the issue.
"He acted very professionally and kept his word," Quilling says. "He told me from the first phone call that if he could not get the neighbors’ approval he would not pursue it. He did not want to create ill will in the neighborhood."
With the matter resolved, Quilling says he knows of no plans by the neighborhood associations to take action against Councilman Alan Walne. Some neighborhood residents were unhappy with WalneÕs hands-off stance during the dispute and discussed picketing his office and seeking a recall election.
"As with anything connected to an elected official, some neighbors may remember this at election time,Ó Quilling says. "But nothing is organized.
"We hope the situation is resolved, and that next time, it’s something we can live with. The place needs to be developed, it’s only a matter of what’s going to be in there."
