Augusta Square

[vicupstate]

Augusta Square : Mixed use Senior housing

[GvilleSC]

Wow! That will be a nice addition!

[sc smitty]

It would be nice to redevelop the Augusta St frontage, but the back half intrudes a lot into the existing neighborhood, and is way out of scale with the existing single story houses immediately behind and across the street from it.  It also takes out several homes in a historic neighborhood, but since this is being proposed by the same developer that was planning on demolishing the Wilkins Mansion, he obviously doesn't care about that. 

[gman430]

3 hours ago, sc smitty said:

It would be nice to redevelop the Augusta St frontage, but the back half intrudes a lot into the existing neighborhood, and is way out of scale with the existing single story houses immediately behind and across the street from it.  It also takes out several homes in a historic neighborhood, but since this is being proposed by the same developer that was planning on demolishing the Wilkins Mansion, he obviously doesn't care about that. 

I live just a few blocks from here and I personally don't see anything historic about the homes that would be demolished. A few of the buildings especially along Augusta look run down even. Even though the development looks a little out of place due to its size, I don't have a problem with it. The density and urbanity is very nice and the pros out-way the cons in my opinion. I would vote in favor of the development if I was on the planning commission. 

[sc smitty]

20 minutes ago, gman430 said:

I live just a few blocks from here and I personally don't see anything historic about the homes that would be demolished. A few of the buildings especially along Augusta look run down even. Even though the development looks a little out of place due to its size, I don't have a problem with it. The density and urbanity is very nice and the pros out-way the cons in my opinion. I would vote in favor of the development if I was on the planning commission. 

I also live a few blocks away, actually in the Greater Sullivan neighborhood.  My home was built in 1923, a similar age to most of the homes in the area, which certainly qualifies as historic.  Just because they're not as fancy as Hampton Pickney or other historic districts doesn't mean they're not worth preserving.  The house where the proposed pool would go, while in need of some restoration, could easily be the nicest house on the street.  Density fronting Augusta St is fine, but with all the talk of the need for affordable housing in the city, tearing down homes in some of the last remaining affordable neighborhoods near downtown doesn't make much sense. Hopefully the actual planning commission does have a problem with something after admitting that it looks out of place due to it's size.

[vicupstate]

The Planning Commission will look primarily, if not exclusively at the LAND USE, not the mass, height, etc. of the building, which would be up to the DRB.

It will be interesting to see the reception this gets from the neighborhood. That section of Augusta does have a downtrodden appearance, which this would improve.      

[ausrutherford]

Having worked with the Greater Sullivan neighborhood before, they are going to come out in arms about this. And probably for good reason.

I could see something at 3 stories, but 6 is much for that neighborhood. 

This would be better served along Church around the corner. 

[gman430]

4 hours ago, ausrutherford said:

This would be better served along Church around the corner. 

Can't argue with that. Haynie at Church Streets where it's vacant would be a good spot. It would fit in more with the surrounding buildings like SouthRidge and Brio also. 

[vicupstate]

Applicant requested postponment to November's Planning Commission meeting.  

[vicupstate]

Augusta Square revised plan

I like the design changes and the height is tiered now which the neighborhood should be better with.  The project no longer 'jumps' Woodfin Ave. which is good.  The buildings on this site are very unattractive, so I hope this goes through, albeit a few tweaks might be necessary still.   

[gman430]

Love it. Not sure how or why the neighborhood would be against this proposal as the current buildings on site are nothing more than rundown eyesores. 

[ausrutherford]

Greater Sullivan didn't approve of the single family at the YWCA site or the other senior living site either. Both of those were smaller projects than this, so I think its safe to say they will fight even harder on this one. 

I do like it, but still think it would be better on Church around the corner. 

[vicupstate]

 

51 minutes ago, ausrutherford said:

Greater Sullivan didn't approve of the single family at the YWCA site or the other senior living site either. Both of those were smaller projects than this, so I think its safe to say they will fight even harder on this one. 

I do like it, but still think it would be better on Church around the corner. 

Nothing has even been submitted for the Scott Tower site, so how could they oppose it? Or are you referring to the demo itself?

I don't see the point of moving over to Church St. The surrounding demographic is the same  

[gman430]

28 minutes ago, vicupstate said:

 

Nothing has even been submitted for the Scott Tower site, so how could they oppose it? Or are you referring to the demo itself?

I don't see the point of moving over to Church St. The surrounding demographic is the same  

He’s referring to the senior house complex that was built next to Taco Bell where the historic house used to be. 

[vicupstate]

3 hours ago, gman430 said:

He’s referring to the senior house complex that was built next to Taco Bell where the historic house used to be. 

I don't recall much opposition to it once the Wilkins House was saved/moved. 

[ausrutherford]

1 hour ago, vicupstate said:

I don't recall much opposition to it once the Wilkins House was saved/moved. 

At Clemson, I worked with Greater Sullivan for a Visionary Plan for the community. They were starting to feel pushed out by those two developments. I would imagine they would feel even stronger now by even a larger development.

[sc smitty]

The vision plan and the design guidelines that exist for the neighborhood both focus on having infill development that is in scale and character with the established neighborhood.  Even when stepping down to 3 stories at the back corner, this proposed building fits neither.  Yes, the current buildings on Augusta itself are run down and it could be argued that anything would look better than that.  I think most anyone would be in favor of something new there, though 6 stories on this section of Augusta still seems excessive.  The part I have a problem with, and I think other people in the neighborhood feel the same on, is the demolition of several existing one story homes on Woodfin, and replacing them with more of the same exact style boxy crap that is showing up everywhere.  I know I would defiantly not want someone to do something similar and bulldoze homes across from where I live and put up a 3-4 story building.  Once the city starts letting developers encroach into existing neighborhoods like this, where does it end?

[johnpro318]

We need more density in Greenville. This area is appropriate for it. The senior housing complex actually isn’t urban or dense enough in face. 

[gman430]

3 hours ago, sc smitty said:

The vision plan and the design guidelines that exist for the neighborhood both focus on having infill development that is in scale and character with the established neighborhood.  Even when stepping down to 3 stories at the back corner, this proposed building fits neither.  Yes, the current buildings on Augusta itself are run down and it could be argued that anything would look better than that.  I think most anyone would be in favor of something new there, though 6 stories on this section of Augusta still seems excessive.  The part I have a problem with, and I think other people in the neighborhood feel the same on, is the demolition of several existing one story homes on Woodfin, and replacing them with more of the same exact style boxy crap that is showing up everywhere.  I know I would defiantly not want someone to do something similar and bulldoze homes across from where I live and put up a 3-4 story building.  Once the city starts letting developers encroach into existing neighborhoods like this, where does it end?

You do realize Augusta Street is a major commercial corridor right? It’s not some small neighborhood street. Six stories is perfectly fine here. The city letting developers in is helping revitalize the area, adding to the tax base, and creating new jobs. 

[ausrutherford]

4 hours ago, gman430 said:

You do realize Augusta Street is a major commercial corridor right? It’s not some small neighborhood street. Six stories is perfectly fine here. The city letting developers in is helping revitalize the area, adding to the tax base, and creating new jobs. 

I believe it is fine on Augusta St now that I think about it...but not on this side.

The other side of Augusta is more appropriate. 

1. It has less single-family to deal with (most has already been lost over the years).

2. That side has traditionally already had taller, more dense development, like Scott.

3. It is also where there has been more recent dense development announced or proposed. New Scott, County redevelopment.

I think the Greater Sullivan side should stay at 3 stories along the side of the road. 

[vicupstate]

Quote

 I know I would defiantly not want someone to do something similar and bulldoze homes across from where I live and put up a 3-4 story building.  Once the city starts letting developers encroach into existing neighborhoods like this, where does it end?

 

Briar St. across from South Ridge is an example of that. So is Rowley Street across from Main + Stone.  

You can't be both for limiting sprawl and also opposed to greater height that has historically has existed.  You have to either build out or build up.  

 

[vicupstate]

Informal review seemed to go better. Formal review will occur after Planning Commission reviews zoning change.

November DRB  

 

The panel also gave informal approval and additional recommendations for the redesign of the proposed Augusta Square active senior living development that received sharp criticism at the September meeting during an informal review.

[distortedlogic]

Not seeing what you guys are. This design looks terrible. It's another modern box that looks like EVERY other one going up now. Come on, where's the creativity and character???

[gman430]

8 hours ago, distortedlogic said:

Not seeing what you guys are. This design looks terrible. It's another modern box that looks like EVERY other one going up now. Come on, where's the creativity and character???

It’s not just Greenville. This is the architectural style of urban apartments they’re building in every city right now. I’ve seen it first hand over the last few years from Seattle to Atlanta to Charleston. 

[distortedlogic]

Agreed. I just don't like the style and think it's lazy and uninspired architecture. Sigh... everything is so fast, cheap, disposable, mass produced these days... they sure don't make em like they used to!