Tim Burgess' City View

Final Roosevelt Decision Upholds Neighborhood Values

The City Council voted 7-2 (Harrell and Godden in opposition) this afternoon to approve the Roosevelt rezone proposal.  The final legislation mandates landscaped setbacks at the ground level to achieve wider sidewalks and wider view corridors to the high school, further setbacks between 35 and 45 feet to create building modulation and an even wider view corridor, incentives for workforce housing, a requirement that any off-street parking that may be offered go underground, residential units only on Northeast 66th Street facing the high school except at the corners of the buildings and preservation of appropriate scaling to the east across 15th Avenue Northeast which has an existing 40 foot height limit.

Sorting Through Roosevelt Station Area Rezone Conflicts

The City Council's committee handling the Roosevelt neighborhood rezone meets again tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. to consider and possibly vote on this package. The Council's decision will be important for the Roosevelt neighborhood but also carries implications for the entire city. It involves balancing different policy priorities, including respecting the needs and values of neighborhoods and managing the City’s strategy to concentrate density around transit centers in order to protect single family homes and reduce suburban sprawl. 

The Council’s decision is complicated by a few very important factors.