Tread carefully on proposed project near Shelby Farms

When it comes to development near Shelby Farms, government planning agencies should tread lightly when considering how massive projects will impact one of the nation’s premier urban parks.

This morning, the Land Use Control Board is scheduled to consider a proposed 56-acre planned development overlooking the north edge of the 4,500-acre park.

Parkside at Shelby Farms would contain three mixeduse buildings of up to nine stories, offering broad park views for apartments, offices and ground-floor retail. The development includes another 18 apartment buildings of up to three stories north and west of the mixed-use towers.

The plan has a total of 700 to 900 apartment units, 80,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of retail space in the three towers, and another 312 apartments in the 18 smaller buildings along with a clubhouse, pool, parking lots, detention ponds and green space.

That is a massive amount of development so close to a green-space gem, where millions of public and private dollars have been and are being spent to make Shelby Farms a special place for hiking, biking and other outdoor activities.

Shelby Farms is in the midst of a $52 million Heart of the Park enhancement initiative that includes a major expansion of Patriot Lake, scheduled for competition by the this fall, a new visitors center, restaurant and events center, pavilions, wetlands walk, splash park and other amenities.

There also are plans to extend the Shelby Farms Greenline, a paved walking and biking trail along the old CSX railroad right of way. The Parkside at Shelby Farms’ main entrance along Mullins Station would cross the new 4.1-mile extension.

The proposed development site is zoned for singlefamily homes.

The Office of Planning & Development recommends that the LUCB approve the proposal under certain conditions, one of which is aimed at limiting traffic congestion. It would keep construction from starting until construction also starts on the long-planned Shelby Farms Parkway. The parkway, if it ever gets built, would skirt the north edge of Shelby Farms.

While we are not against quality development, it is a bit troubling that the OPD is recommending approval of this kind of development so close to the park. We say that in the larger context of park advocates, for decades, being able to fend off this kind of possibly intrusive development near the park. That includes an unsuccessful effort to sell park property to private developers.

Some could argue, “What’s the big deal? New York City’s Central Park is surrounded by high-rise development.” But that development occurred during a different time and era.

There has been a tremendous private, philanthropic and public effort to keep expansive development away from Shelby Farms. That has made it the jewel it has become. We hope LUCB members remember that today.