Auburn has a new downtown master plan.
The process to develop and approve the plan that began in 2013, which drew sharp scrutiny from Auburn residents after the construction of 160 Ross in 2015, was approved Tuesday, March 22, at the Auburn City Council meeting.
The new plan creates a new category of multifamily housing built for students called private dormitories in the master plan documents.
Auburn residents formed Keep Auburn Lovely to lobby the City Council to stop large student-housing developments from being built such as the six-story building currently under construction on Wright Street and a planned seven-story building slated to be built at the corner of College Street and Glenn Avenue.
Under the new rules, those projects are grandfathered in, but private dormitories not already under development are prohibited in the Urban Core district, an area next to campus, north of Samford Avenue, south of the railroad tracks and stretching east to west from Burton Street to the middle of the block between Wright and Toomer streets.
Private dormitories may be built in the other zoning districts surrounding the Urban Core, but must be first approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment, and new regulations will restrict the size developments.
“A lot of people would say the genesis of all of this was the project across the street,” said Forrest Cotten, director of the Auburn Planning Department, referring to the 160 Ross development.
Cotten said the new regulations are now based on an 85 beds per acre size limit. The 160 Ross has 117 beds per acre, according to Cotten.
Several residents who spoke at the meeting were not happy that nothing had been done to lower the height limit in the Urban Core from 75 feet.
“As far as I know, (the building height) had not even been reconsidered,” said Susie Thomas, Auburn resident. “I’d like to just remind you, whether you’re paid or a volunteer, and I know you’ve worked really hard for the citizens of Auburn, but you do work for us. And the vast majority of citizens want to preserve our town. We don’t want it to look like the Parker building.”
Councilman Tommy Dawson proposed an amendment that would restrict building height to 65 feet in the areas closest to campus on College Street and Magnolia Avenue.
“Y’all know how I am,” Dawson said. “I’m just plain-spoken. When we had the discussion a couple months ago. We told the folks we were going to do 65 feet or we left that impression — whether we said it or not. … If I tell you something, then I’m going to do.”
Dawson’s amendment passed 6-2 with Councilwoman Lynda Tremaine abstaining from voting on anything related to the plan because she owns property in the affected districts.
Another contentious issue during the meeting was Mike and Ed’s Bar-B-Q being removed from the Auburn Historic District and placed into the Urban Core District.
Although the building is not historic, residents didn’t like the idea that one day a 75-foot building could occupy the lot under new rules.
“I ask you what possible reason for zoning one single property north of the railroad tracks to build a 75-foot building,” Thomas said. “What could possibly be the reason? Well there’s only one that I can think of, and we can’t talk about it today.”
Auburn Realty owner Ray Huff spoke to the council after Thomas and brought up the same issue.
Huff was interrupted by Councilman Roy Anders after Huff mention Thomas’ comment but said he wouldn’t go into it.
“Why won’t you go into it Ray, and I want to know what (Thomas) meant too,” Anders said.
Huff replied and said he thinks residents are upset the zoning has been changed and there’s a chance a 75-foot building could be built next door to their homes.
Anders wasn’t satisfied with Huff’s response and asked him again about the reason.
“OK, I don’t think I want to go into that in public Ron,” Huff said. “And I’m probably totally wrong.”
Huff said he thinks the properties were added to allow development in those areas.
Anders proposed an amendment removing the Mike and Ed’s Bar-B-Q property from the Urban Core District, which passed with Tremaine abstaining.
Stone Ray, freshman in architecture, has spoken out in favor of downtown development at several City Council meetings.
“When I’m looking at the map of Auburn, I see potential everywhere,” Ray said.
Ray said the development should be focused in the Urban Core.
“There’s nothing I could say that could possibly overstate the deliberation that has gone into this by the number of public input meetings, planning commission, the hours and hours and so forth,” Cotten said.
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