Mattiace shelves apartment proposal
RIDGELAND — Developers say they are redesigning the residential component of a proposed $70 million mixed use development here off of the Highland Colony Parkway after the inclusion of apartments brought ire from the community.
Developer Andrew Mattiace submitted a letter to Mayor Gene F. McGee and the Board of Alderman dated July 14 saying they are revisiting the plans for the development that is situated north of Highland Colony Baptist Church near Lake Castle Road.
The letter said they are revising the plans by adding “some combination of detached single-family residential dwellings, zero lot line dwellings, patio homes and/or attached singe-famiy townhouse dwellings to the project and will add additional land to the project.”
The letter notes that the project “will not be substantially similar to the plans submitted with the initial Petition and Application” due to the coming revisions. The letter then asks that the petition and application be removed. The developers will have to start the approval process over.
At the Monday, July 18 work session at City Hall, Ward 1 Alderman Ken Heard asked if all the new units would be owner occupied. Mattiace said they would be. Mattiace did not say if any rental units would remain in the proposed new designs.
Aldermen unanimously voted to remand the matter at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting.
The proposed project was Phase I for the proposed development. Developers were targeting 2024 as a proposed opening date for Phase I with other potential phases coming in two-year intervals.
The development covered roughly 17.5 acres and was said to include about 62,000 square feet of retail space. The proposal included about 280 “high end and very expensive” rental units. For building to include residential spaces, at least 50 percent of the first floor of these buildings was required to be commercial to satisfy the conditional use.
Many opposed the residential element of the proposed development, specifically the language in the application that used the term “Residential Dwelling Units.”
At a lengthy public hearing in April at City Hall with a standing-room-only crowd, Ward 5 Zoning Board member Judy Rice summed up the collective frustration, saying, “It's like they say, ‘You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig.’”
Those opposed to the project included residents, business owners and an attorney representing the city of Madison.
Zoning denied the petition in a 5-1 vote with Ward 2 appointee Drew Malone casting the lone vote in favor of the development. The item was then sent to the mayor and board for final approval or denial.
Alderman voted at the first meeting in May to table the matter for later this summer. Mattiace has withdrawn the item before the city board so officials can revisit the matter.