A developer is hoping the third time will be the charm in a quest to build an apartment development at 27th Street and Porter Ridge Road in south Lincoln.
Krueger Development, which has had two proposals shot down at the nearly 9-acre site just south of SouthPointe Pavilions, has again reduced the scope of its proposed development.
The plan presented Wednesday calls for 110 apartments in two buildings that would be no taller than 35 feet. The initial plan called for 135 apartments and commercial space in buildings up to 65 feet tall, while the second plan called for 121 apartments and commercial space in buildings up to 50 feet tall.
The first plan was vetoed by then-Mayor Chris Beutler after the City Council narrowly approved it. The second plan was narrowly rejected by the council.
Both of those rejections were largely driven by objections from neighboring town home owners, who raised a number of concerns, including increased traffic, inadequate parking and the invasiveness of the taller buildings.
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Neighbors continue to resist the plan, and about a dozen of them sent emails to the Planning Department objecting to the smaller project. Many argued that they were told when they bought their properties that offices would be built on the site, and they don't want apartments.
None of those neighbors testified at Wednesday's hearing, however.
Steve Henrichsen, the Planning Department's development review manager, noted that despite the land being zoned for office uses, apartments are a permitted use on the site, and up to 250 could be built there.
Now that Krueger has reduced the height of the buildings to fit into the zoning regulations, the only variance the company is asking for is a reduction in parking requirements.
The reduction in height seemed to be key for Planning Commission members, who recommended denial of both of Krueger's previous applications.
This time, commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the project.
Commissioner Tom Beckius called the newest proposal "a compromise that I feel very comfortable going forward with."
The proposal is likely to go before the City Council sometime next month.