Commission nixes parking lot proposal

Plan to demolish Powerhouse restaurant fails to get votes

FAYETTEVILLE — Developers of a planned student housing complex on Center Street failed to get enough votes from the Planning Commission to demolish the former Powerhouse restaurant and use the site as a parking lot.

Commissioners on Monday voted 4-4 on a pair of proposals associated with a planned 676-bed student housing complex being developed by Trinitas Ventures in Lafayette, Ind. The first proposal was a variation from city code dealing with the maximum amount of space between doors on a structure. The second was a request for a permit to turn the former Powerhouse property into an offsite parking lot serving the complex.

The complex, planned on Center Street immediately west of Frisco Trail, would require 439 parking spaces to serve 676 beds. To make the requirement, 245 spaces were proposed for an on-site parking deck with 194 more at the Powerhouse property, according to a presentation from Todd Wendell with Trinitas. Direct distance between the two sites is about 170 feet, or a 5-minute walk, he said.

Powerhouse Seafood & Grill opened in the 1990s and closed permanently last year. The property is owned by the Underwood family of Underwoods Fine Jewelers on Dickson Street. Wendell said the plan was to lease the property for 55 years to use as an offsite parking lot.

Commissioners who voted against the request expressed hesitancy about the length of the lease and concern over the passive land use as a parking lot and loss of the building.

Commissioner Jimm Garlock said the city has

dedicated too many millions of taxpayer dollars toward revamping downtown with the planned arts corridor known as the Ramble to allow a parking lot at what once was an active space.

“It has so much potential — to write it off for the next 55 years as merely a parking lot, we’re selling ourselves short,” he said.

Garlock was joined by Nick Castin, Fred Gulley and Mary McGetrick in voting against the request.

Those who voted in favor said the property’s steep slope, numerous power lines hanging above and multiple easements would make it a difficult site for development.

Commissioner Mary Madden said she was of a mixed mind about the proposal, but the project is required to have a certain amount of parking under its zoning.

“I would love for us to reduce the amount of required parking,” she said.

Madden was joined by Andrew Brink, Brad Payne and Nicolas Werner in supporting the request.

The other request was to allow doors on the parking garage level of the complex on Center Street to be spaced 230 feet apart, as opposed to within 50 feet as required by city code. Wendell said the property’s slope presented a hardship.

Garlock, Gulley, Madden and McGetrick voted against the request. Brink, Payne, Castin and Werner voted in favor.

Both requests needed five affirmative votes to pass.

In other business, commissioners voted 7-0 to support a planned zoning district for a 120-room hotel on the southern end of the downtown Ramble’s civic plaza. The City Council will have final say on the request.

A planned zoning district is a detailed rezoning request that includes development features such as placement of buildings and streets and other features. Jessie Masters, the city’s development review manager, said the plan reflected an earlier agreement signed by Mayor Lioneld Jordan with the hotel’s developer, Brian Reindl.

The hotel is planned as seven stories with a basement. Parking will be managed through a valet service to an offsite parking lot southwest of Center Street and Gregg Avenue.

Commissioner Matthew Cabe did not attend Monday’s meeting. Madden attended online but left the meeting about 7:30 p.m.