Photography by Sam Gillespie
The parking lot at the now-closed Local Traveler is empty of diners, but a sign notifying the public of the upcoming rezone recently appeared.
As previously reported, developer Mill Creek Residential is seeking a change in land use to build a mixed-use development of 320 apartments and 10,000-20,000 square feet of commercial space on the sites formerly occupied by The Lot and Local Traveler restaurants.
Documents that accompanied Mill Creek’s filing include the application requesting a planned development district instead of the current zoning of mixed use and community retail. Mill Creek also is requesting a removal of deed restrictions currently in place that limit building height to 54 feet, four stories above grade and lot coverage to 60 percent. These deed restrictions were offered to the City by previous owner Rand Popp in 2000 in return for rezoning the property to the current mixed use classification.
Mill Creek calls the project The Trailhead, and the case file includes a high-level development plan. The current request shows an eight-story structure with apartments, a parking garage and retail, along with a free-standing, two-story restaurant.
Read the application here: Trailhead Zoning Application
For the privilege of requesting a rezone, Mill Creek paid a $6,880 fee to the City with the submittal.
“We have always been committed to an open and engaged community process, and we will not rush this,” says Michael Blackwell, senior managing director for Mill Creek Residential. “Beyond detailed engagements with surrounding neighborhood associations and groups with interest near the site, which have been occurring, we anticipate a series of ‘open house’ meetings, likely in mid-late February, to share more detail and get feedback from a broader community audience.”
